SELF HELP
SUJAN SHAH Mindfulness Practitioner and Keynote Speaker Sujan Speaks
Blessings from my mother .
On April 25th , 2021 , my mother passed away in a hospital due to COVID in India . Sharing some of the most critical reflections I learned from her .
Growing up , I always had a significant push back from my mother regarding how I take this entire world ? Do I oppose other ’ s views ? Do I listen to those views and disagree with the strongest force ? Or do I make the best out of it and move on ? If you guessed the last option , you are correct . She always taught me to listen with the most compassionate heart and caring ears and speak with the most loving words , if at all needed any .
During my formative years , my mother argued : do we have to respond with aggressiveness at all ? When somebody disagrees or giving their peace of mind to us , how much should I take it personally ? Is it my battle with others , or is it their battle with themselves based on their conditioning , past ?
Of course , at first , all of it did not make sense at all . It was challenging to understand when I was younger until it all started making sense . Then , as I went through ups and downs in life , it started unfolding in my heart . Suddenly , what my mother taught me in my formative years started becoming more attractive . But , though I felt that this approach is subtle , in my pursuit of selfreflection , I wondered , what if all the answers are hidden in this subtleness , the silence between two thoughts , two emotions , two responses ? What if everything around us has come from the source of subtleness , the space of silence that gives rise to loving , compassionate , and caring answers , or no responses needed after all .
The memories of her teachings from childhood have come in handy whenever I had a situation to respond with a better choice . I realized that all the world had formulated its existence from this space of infinite potentialities . Very often , these potentialities come from nothingness masking as a silent and ineffective space . However , when we develop a way to improve our awareness , the music of this quiet space becomes audible . I suspect my mother had this space in her awareness all the time . Hence it convinced her to follow in her life and be consistent with her message for others .
We are busy making our lives , living in the noise , and facing a tremendous influx of sensory input . Yet , have you ever wondered that we have confused this noise as our reality ? Have we forgotten that the space of quietness can often help us to get through tough and impermeable situations ? Have we assumed that in dealing with chaotic events , the responses had to be filled with stress ?
Now that I reflect on my past responses and teachings from my mother , I feel we are missing something very critical for finding bliss in existence . Therefore , I hope this article reminds us that subtleness and space of quietness can indeed help us with improved awareness .
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