कर्म से मुक्त कैसे हो ?

 

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Disclaimer /अस्वीकरण:  यह मेरा मौलिक कार्य नहीं है, बल्कि सद्गुरु की मूल पोस्ट "बुरे कर्मों से कैसे छुटकारा पाएं" का हिंदी अनुवाद है

Original post : https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/wisdom/sadhguru-spot/how-to-become-free-from-karma 

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आपमें से अधिकांश लोग जो इस संस्कृति में पले-बढ़े हैं, उन्होंने कर्म के बारे में काफ़ी बातचीत की होगी। फिर भी, सवाल यह है कि गतिविधि और कर्म, कारण और प्रभाव के इस अंतहीन चक्र से कैसे बाहर निकला जाए? क्या ऐसी गतिविधियाँ हैं जो मुक्ति के मार्ग पर दूसरों की तुलना में अधिक अनुकूल हैं? दरअसल, कोई भी गतिविधि सर्वोत्तम नहीं होगी - शरीर में कोई हलचल नहीं, सिर में कोई हलचल नहीं। लेकिन कितने लोग ऐसा करने में सक्षम हैं?

यह ब्रिटिश राज के अंत में हुआ, जब स्वतंत्रता आंदोलन मजबूत हो रहा था, और अंग्रेजों को पता था कि भारत में उनका शासन जल्द ही समाप्त हो जाएगा। जाने से पहले, वे जितना हो सके उतना हड़प लेना चाहते थे। जब दुनिया भर की अर्थव्यवस्थाओं पर महामंदी की मार प0ड़ी तो उनकी नज़र दक्षिण भारतीय मंदिरों पर पड़ी। भले ही लोग गरीब और भूखे थे, फिर भी उन्होंने अपने देवताओं की अच्छी देखभाल की और मंदिरों में भारी खजाना जमा हो गया।

*~*यदि आप प्रत्येक कार्य को अर्पण के रूप में करते हैं, तो आपके कर्म बंधन खुलने लगेंगे। *~*

अंग्रेजों ने इसे राजस्व के एक बड़े स्रोत के रूप में देखा और मंदिरों को अपने नियंत्रण में ले लिया। एक दिन, एक संग्रहकर्ता को मंदिर की बहीखाता में निम्नलिखित प्रविष्टि दिखी: "ओन्नम पनाधा स्वामी की सपदु" - जिसका अनुवाद "उस स्वामी के लिए भोजन जो कुछ नहीं कर रहा है" - पच्चीस रुपये प्रति माह। कलेक्टर ने कहा, ''हमें ऐसे आदमी को खाना क्यों खिलाना चाहिए जो कुछ नहीं करता? इसे रद्द करें।"  चिंतित होकर मंदिर का पुजारी ट्रस्टियों के पास गया और बोला, "हम उसे कैसे नहीं खिला सकते?" ट्रस्टियों में से एक पुजारी ने कलेक्टर ,  कोअपने साथ, स्वामी (जिन्होंने कुछ नहीं किया) से मिलने के लिए कहा । ट्रस्टी ने कलेक्टर से अनुरोध किया कि वे बस वहीं रहें और कुछ न करें, स्वामी की तरह। कलेक्टर ने सोचा, "इसमें कौन सी बड़ी बात है," लेकिन पांच मिनट के भीतर उसने कहा, "ठीक है, इस आदमी को खाना खिलाओ।" इस स्वामी ने इतना सारा ''कुछ नहीं किया", कि वहां कुछ जबरदस्त हो रहा था। इस आयाम से अनभिज्ञ लेकिन फिर भी अभिभूत होकर, कलेक्टर ने हार मान ली।

कोई व्यक्ति जो बिल्कुल कुछ नहीं करता वह कर्म स्मृति और कर्म चक्र से मुक्त है। जब तक आप अपनी कर्म स्मृति से पहचाने जाते हैं, अतीत खुद को दोहराता है। कर्म का अर्थ है एक ही समय में क्रिया और स्मृति। क्रिया के बिना कोई स्मृति नहीं है, और स्मृति के बिना कोई क्रिया नहीं है। जब तक आप पर आपकी स्मृति का शासन है, यह आपको कुछ करने के लिए प्रेरित करेगी। केवल अगर आप अपने आप को अपनी पिछली यादों से पूरी तरह दूर कर लेंगे, तभी आप शांत बैठ पाएंगे।

आप एक प्रयोग कर सकते हैं - दस मिनट तक कुछ भी न करने का प्रयास करें। कोई विचार नहीं, कोई भावना नहीं, कोई हलचल नहीं। यदि यह आपके लिए अभी तक संभव नहीं है, यदि आपके दिमाग में हजारों चीजें चल रही हैं और आप शांत नहीं बैठ सकते हैं, तो गतिविधि नितांत आवश्यक है। यह बात अधिकांश मनुष्यों पर लागू होती है। तो फिर आपको किस प्रकार की गतिविधि चुननी चाहिए? क्या आपको बस चलानी चाहिए? या साइकिल चलायें? या नदी में तैरना? या ऑफिस में बैठें? या अपने दोस्तों के साथ गपशप करें? या मारिजुआना धूम्रपान करें? जो मायने रखता है वह आपकी गतिविधि की प्रकृति नहीं बल्कि आप उसे संचालित करने का तरीका है।

*~*कर्म आत्म-संतुष्टि और आत्म-महत्व से बढ़ता है।*~*

अधिकांश लोगों की शारीरिक और मानसिक स्थिति ऐसी होती है कि उन्हें सक्रियता की आवश्यकता होती है। शरीर और मन को सभी गतिविधियों से मुक्ति की स्थिति में लाने के लिए बहुत काम करना पड़ता है। फिलहाल, शरीर और दिमाग को एक निश्चित स्तर की सतर्कता और चपलता पर रखने की सलाह दी जाती है, ताकि समय आने पर आप तैयार रहें। तब तक, आपको अपने आप को निरंतर गतिविधि में झोंकने की आवश्यकता है। महत्वपूर्ण बात यह है कि स्वयं को अवकाश न दें। और गतिविधि आपके बारे में नहीं होनी चाहिए. जब आप कुछ ऐसा करते हैं जो किसी और के लिए आवश्यक होता है, तो आप जो गतिविधि करते हैं वह आपकी अपनी नहीं होती। आपके पास पाने के लिए कुछ नहीं है, दिखाने के लिए कुछ नहीं है। समर्पण के रूप में गतिविधि करना आपके भीतर कर्म रिकॉर्डर को बंद करने का एक सरल तरीका है। जब तक आपको कुछ करने की आवश्यकता है और आप अपनी गतिविधि को पहचानते हैं, कर्म रिकॉर्डर आपके लिए इस गतिविधि को रिकॉर्ड करता है, और इसके परिणाम कई गुना बढ़ जाएंगे। इसके विपरीत, यदि आपको स्वयं कुछ भी करने की आवश्यकता नहीं है, लेकिन आप कुछ इसलिए करते हैं क्योंकि इसकी आवश्यकता किसी और को है या कुछ और है, तो गतिविधि का परिणाम कर्म बंधन में नहीं होगा।

यदि आप इसके लिए सक्षम हैं, तो कोई भी गतिविधि आपके लिए उपयुक्त नहीं है। किसी भी स्तर पर कुछ भी न करने के लिए बहुत कुछ करना पड़ता है, न तो शारीरिक रूप से, न मानसिक रूप से और न ही भावनात्मक रूप से। जब तक आप वहां नहीं पहुंच जाते, गतिविधि को एक भेंट के रूप में करें, उससे तादात्म्य स्थापित किए बिना। यदि कुछ ऐसा है जिसे करने की आवश्यकता है, तो आप उसे करें। नहीं तो तुम बस बैठे रहो. यदि आप आत्म-महत्व से बाहर गतिविधि नहीं करते हैं, तो इसका कोई कार्मिक परिणाम नहीं होगा। कर्म आत्म-संतुष्टि और आत्म-महत्व से बढ़ता है। यदि आप पूरी तरह से जीवित और सक्रिय हैं, लेकिन कोई नया कर्म नहीं जुटाते हैं, तो आपके पुराने कर्म ख़त्म होने लगेंगे। यह कर्म का स्वभाव है. कर्म की पुरानी परतें तभी आपसे चिपक सकती हैं जब आप कर्म गोंद की नई परतें जोड़ते रहेंगे। यदि आज जो कुछ हुआ वह आपको याद नहीं रहता, तो अतीत में जो कुछ हुआ उसकी कर्म स्मृति विघटित हो जाएगी।

यदि आप प्रत्येक कार्य को अर्पण के रूप में करते हैं, तो आपके कर्म बंधन खुलने लगेंगे। जब तक आप कुछ भी करने में सक्षम न हों, तब तक आप जो चाहें करें, लेकिन इसे अपने भीतर एक अर्पण के रूप में करें। अर्पण की स्थिति में, आप अनुग्रह के लिए उपलब्ध हो जाते हैं।

    प्यार और अनुग्रह

    सद्गुरु की ओर से

Atomic Habits by James Clear

 Overall good engaging book, James keeping bringing new examples and explained the concept with the respective perspective. 

In initial chapters, I was amazed that how he can be so much illustrative in explaining something which can be easily said in a sentence or two. That's the art of writing, and well deserved work by author to serve the information at a slower pace which can imbibe in the reader's mind for longer. 

Below is my notes from the book : 

1. Every drop counts. If a rope also runs against a stone for a long and continuous it makes some permanent changes. That's the intent - with human life and the changes one wants to bring in ta` (Chinese word for his/her) own life. Habits are compound interest of self-improvement. 

2. Patience and staying in present is important. Focus on your system instead spending time on setting goals. 

3. Four laws of behaviour change : 

    3.1. Make it obvious : Self reflection and Self awareness. Basic is know yourself. What are your habits, which ones are good and you like to keep it. Are there some new habits you like to adopt, are there some you like to get away with. 

    Writing brings more clarity in the thoughts, so author also  shared maintaining habit scorecard, would bring more consciousness. 

Making the supporting environment wither to make obvious the good habit or make invisible the bad habit.

    3.2. Make it attractive : its about training the mind. Like animals/dog being train, they get food if they do what being asked to. Human is also an animal. Its the anticipation of reward - that keeps up the motivation and get us to complete the action.  

Keep some reward,. Bundle/part your  habits to make it more attractive. 

More often bring yourself to the supporting culture/environment; where your desired behavior is normal, so you get auto-approval, respect and praise from people around. 

For stopping bad habits to the opposite, make it more unattractive. Make it punishable. 

   3.3. Make it easy : the law is simple to name but difficult to summarize and  but difficult to personalize and implement. What works for one won't always work for other. 

Key take is stop thinking, and focus on taking action. It's overcoming the inertia either ways to start good habit or stop bad habit practice.  Practice makes one's perfect. 

Don't start at extreme, make it simple, EASY to adopt, (author suggests 2 minute Rule - a new habit should take less 2 minutes to do); and slowly lead to your final goal of habit. 

As said, environment plays a significant role, so does the people around you. A simple change like waking up at xx time is linked with multiple factors. So awareness, and slowly fixing one by one like in zenga . Walk Slowly, but never backward, use of technology to aid this change. 

  3.4. Make it satisfying: Satisfaction increases the odds that a behaviour will be repeated next time. 

Maintaining a habit tracker is a simple way to track your progress and in a way this makes you stick with the habits you want to stick with. 

Have an accountability partner - someone who can raise the flag to what you have committed for. Knowing someone else is watching you -can be a powerful motivator. 

4. Not everyone can do everyone. Some talents and skills transferred from genes also, and some your capability. So better choose the ones that get align with your natural abilities, that favours your strength. This will maximize your odds of success. 

5. Goldilocks Rule : How to stay motivated in Life and work. Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. 

The threat to success in not failure but boredom

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Thank you for reading through. Sharing all above - I think the biggest task is whether you are starting any of the suggestions from above. As reflection, awareness, thinking one time tasks are ok - indeed the reason you came across this blog today. 

The key is to bring the habit to regular routine. Evening making the scorecard - or a tracker, or patiently listening to your accountability partner is a big Habit to adopt. 

But if you decide it to make it happen, definitely you will succeed. 

 Note : the writing in italics are my thoughts, author have not used these

My journey from Engineering Manager to a Product Manager: some myths and some wisdom!

 

When I first became an engineering manager, I was overwhelmed and excited with this thought of doing more –scale up. I felt that sense of power because I am THE manager and everything is now can be controlled by me. As the days passed, I realized this role comes much more hidden responsibilities, and to be true there are two different roles in this one position which is Manager of portfolio and leader of people. As a manager one need to be both visionary – thinking and planning for long term strategy but at the same time have to spend time on present - the actuals doing what matters most for the customer and stakeholders. As a leader, it’s all about connecting to their team members, making them The best: developing capability and empowering them to deliver the finest which in-and-around helping the business with successful projects executions; making best performing TEAM.

Every role change comes with new learnings, however I felt change from a product engineer to an engineering manager came with steep learning curve, exposure to multiple projects, initiatives, planning and people. Although, the working base remains same being an engineer or manager with the 6 most important actions

                    Read – Listen – Observe – Learn – Experiment - Reflect  

However, the outcome varies and comes with different perspective. My words of wisdom to any fellow member going through this change:

• You taking the role of engineering leader is not just a change for you, its change for your complete team also. In-case you want to bring new process or module experiment it first.

• You don’t have to manage people, you have to enable them, guide them and help them. Managing people with their work, some call it micro-manage; while doing so you forget they very reason every team member is in the position they presently at! It’s because of their Skills, talent and capability. 

          And if you spend all your energy in managing their work, what will happen to yours J

• Patience, vision and trust are some additional keys need always to be permanently keyed in engineering leader keychain.

• Keep adjusting the plans, could be a non-linear ! As this is engineering, plans not always followed as initially planned, most often it comes with surprises

After spending sometime in this role I decided to change my gears and luckily I got the opportunity to be a Product Manager. The zest of knowing more and most of it, was the reason I desired to switch - I want to experience the complete product design cycle. Engineering equipped me learning HOW to make this happen, and I wanted to know WHY this product and WHAT exactly is needed in this product. 

Something remain common like the base of 6 actions, and uncertainty of what all will come in your day today and your to-do lists will take a side. However, this role is much different than engineering manager.

It’s being almost 2.5 years I am in this role, and surprisingly if someone ask me to define the job it’s still difficult for me to explain them in a sentence. As role & responsibility of a PM (product manager), they are responsible to drill down to understanding the WHY i.e. market, its needs and converting it to the WHAT i.e. the product features, specification and also guide WHEN i.e. right time to bring the product in market. 

But it doesn’t end here. Product manager is the one centrally connected to all cross-function team. One should be reflecting on what is the role you are now – else any and every problem could be your problem!

Switch from engineer mode to Manager mode – this judgement becomes most important. Whether this is best use of your time to brainstorm and find the root cause or it’s better to leverage the experts in engineering, quality, manufacturing, etc. and let them do their core.

My wisdom words to any fellow member getting into a product manager role:

• Being a PM is not about your engineering skills it’s about first the customer and second about Product - how fast and best you can enable the solution.

• PM is like an entrepreneur in the company. They are never told what to do – however the only expectation from them is to discover and define what is needed to be done in the product and for the product.

PM owns the complete product lifecycle, starting from when and what to start, how to grow and when is the right time to retire the product.

Creative visionary is must here, because creating the possibilities of making the vision into reality is what required.

• PM influences all functions related to product – engineering, manufacturing, application, marketing and sales so one of the most valuable skill for a PM is influence without authority.

• Accomplishment / output here is much more nebulous, quantifying daily progress checks is difficult.

Sometimes weeks goes in researching and estimating the market, talking to customer      understanding their needs and reduce all to the product specification sheet. Some days would be training of product explaining same stuff to multiple audience groups.

You won’t realize days would simply fly off, keeping you busy all day. And in the end when to see outcome realized you may still have to wait for a long time. It needs Patience

• Product knowledge is important – but you really don’t need to be product expert.

May be only I faced this, as I come from engineering background. I had spent hours, reading and taking trainings wanted to become a product expert to become a good PM! Well, its impractical to get that expertise in few days/weeks/months…

It’s good that PM should know everything about their product, however this will come gradually. Its ok to say no, you don’t know and connect to respect team and learn.

• Communication and being organized are other two must have keys for this role! As PM need to interact with a lot of people and deal with tones of information.   

      Any transition requires us to change the mind-set, bring the different perspective! When started as a fresher and become a product engineer it is a journey in-self. However, one thing which keep me moving is curiosity.

My curiosity is THE driver for me which energizes me and helped me to accelerate my learning. It’s not only learning from own experience, but learning from your peers, seniors, juniors wherever possible, multiply the knowledge. It’s curiosity only which makes me accepts new challenges and I think when I am not getting challenged this hunger make me go and search for opportunities where I get more challenged.

If ambiguous situation doesn’t frighten you, and you enjoy surfing with your own GPS system, enjoy the most in discovering the WHY and WHAT, then you may like to be a product manager. I am sure you will love it!

The Don'ts for a successful Leader

The most common transactional flaws performed by one person against others :

1. Winning too much - The need to won at all costs and in all situations - when it matters, when it doesn't and when it's totally beside the point.

2. Adding too much value - The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion.
Its common leaders like to run the show. It is extremely difficult for successful people to listen to other people tell them something that they already know without communicating somehow that either "we already knew that" or " "we know a better way.".
 Consider you went to your boss and suggest him some idea. And in return your boss said - "good idea, but it would be better if you tried it this way". Imagine how you would be feeling. Definitely commitment will drop - thoughts would be - some or other peer would definitely be doing something on this. My manager have already have this in his plan - he will guide further to proceed on this. As the your idea didn't remain your idea now - it seems like you are working on your manager idea.
 As a leader - The higher up you go in the organization, the more you need to make other people winners and not make it about winning yourself.

3. Passing judgement - The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.
 Don't take sides, be neutral. Just say "Thank you" or "Thanks I hadn't considered that" or "Thanks, You have given me something to think about".
Consider you walking with a broken leg in doctors cabin, and doctor keeps you bugging with how did you broke it - whether it was accident, or some fight etc. You expect him to care about just fixing your leg. Leader need to extend the same - 'doctor's mission-neutral' purpose while dealing with people.

4. Making destructive comments - The needless sarcasms and cutting remarks that we think make us sharp and witty.
 Try this, before speaking, ask yourself: 
   1. Will this comment help our customers? 
   2. Will this comment help our company? 
  3. Will this comment help the person I'm talking to? 
  4. Will this comment help the person I'm talking about? 
                          If all answers are no, no need to say that comment.

5. Starting with "No", "But, "However" - The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly say to everyone, "I'm right You'r wrong."

6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we're smarter than they think we are. Try this three step drill -
  a) Pause before opening your mouth to ask yourself "Is anything I say worth it?"
  b) conclude that it isn't 
  c) say Thank You

7. Speaking when angry : Using emotional volatility as a management tool.

8. Negativity, or "Let me explain why that won't work": The need to share our negative thoughts even when we weren't asked.

9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others.
10. Failing to give proper recognition: The inability to praise and reward.

11. Claiming credit that we don't deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our contribution to any success.

12. Making excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behaviour as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.

13. Clinging to the past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.
Stop blaming others for the choices you made - and that goes with double emphasis for the choices that turned out well. Remember no one can change the past - what we can do best is accept the past and move on and Work better on our future.

14. Playing favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly. Its simple and many would claim they do not play favorites.
Think, after a long trip when you return home, you become more excited to meet your dog - reasons may be he runs to door while car is parked outside, or he never says bad to you etc. Have broader and real perspective in professional life also.

15. Refusing to express regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we're wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.

16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

17. Failing to express gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.

18. Punishing the messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.

19. Passing the buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.

 Reference: What Got You Here Won't Got You There by Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter