How To Maintain Chardi Kala

[RD1]

We can all go through difficult times, or fall into a rut of negative and angry thinking, or give in to the stresses in our lives.

What does it mean to you to stay in a state of chardi kala, and what strategies do you use to maintain this state?

 

[Original]

We can all go through difficult times, or fall into a rut of negative and angry thinking, or give in to the stresses in our lives.

What does it mean to you to stay in a state of chardi kala, and what strategies do you use to maintain this state?

..what springs to mind immediately is the notion "optimism", meaning, chardi kala. Sikhism promotes active and positive disposition as opposed to restrictive and negative world view. And, since the subject matter is one of "attitude", make what you will of human nature. Suffice to say, Gursikh is directed to keep in contemplation shabad guru 24/7 to sail swiftly through all weathers, unperturbed.

Characteristic traits such as "true grit" play a major role in realising subject object phenomena, meaning, guru and chela. Once you have that protection, assurance [belief], come what may because you have the contingent arrangements in place, albeit, invisible.

More another time - late lunch !

 

[Harry Haller]

I have to disagree with Originalji's interpretation, but then I would, would I not.

I think the concept is personal, but I wish share what it means to me, it is not so much a state of pleasure, more a state where you cannot be hurt, damaged, pained. I feel this is not a state that one can switch on or off, or meditate to reach, but first one has to plant the seeds of Chardi Kala, to me, this means doing everything that will bring as little future problems as possible, so in effect, to live by way of a code of truth, not just simply telling the truth, but being true. This requires wisdom and learning, experience, perception, discipline. The discipline gets easier as the truth becomes habit and ultimately becomes the self.,

I dislike posts myself where airy fairy terms as used that sound great but impart little to the reader, so my definition of living by the truth is to present yourself to the world in the best possible light you can, to act as best you can, to avoid anything that will come back and bite you, on a most basic level, eat well, keep in good shape, avoid anything that changes you the way you think, including drink, drugs, porn, fantasy, anything that changes the shape of your brain, that makes such actions acceptable and justifiable, be not a slave to love, be a master of love, be a love giver, not a love taker, reject the notion of needing love, accept people as they are, do not foist any need to be loved on relationships, tell the truth unless such action is against the notion of the truth, (1984, are there any sikhs in your boot of your car sir?) , nothing is set in stone, run with it, pick up the ball and run with it, to the absolute best of your ability, and being aware of consequence and action, pay all your bills, don't get parking tickets, don't borrow money, value your word, don't be greedy or proud, or egoistical, do not get attached to material possessions, or even people, you are here to serve, not take, let go of envy, be happy for people, genuinely, work hard and honestly, be a good cog in this universe, not a bad one, eat and live modestly, share your love with those you trust, help everyone else to the best of your abilities given the situation, never ever put another before yourself, you need to be here to help as many as possible, you cannot blow the bank on a single situation, be in complete love with yourself, and the god within you.

From a pragmatic view, such a lifestyle brings peace, contentment and acceptance, it is not a state of utter happiness and optimism, it is a state of peace, harmony and understanding.

The grit to enable you to live in this fashion is enshrined in the 11th master.
 
of course the question then begs why is everyone not living in chardi kala, I would use two words 'short term'

Short term is valued above everything else, short term food, short term love, short term sex, short term pleasures, we want gratification, and we want it now, peace is boring, love making with your wife is boring, no we want women dressed as nuns, in shiny boots and filthy mouths, we don't want daal, we want chicken in the most tasty sauces with the softest of bread, washed down with a nice cold beer, and don't want it to stop, until full of our own filth we sleep, and then wake, and then have to deal with the angina, the blocked arteries, the useless liver, the various STD's, the shame, the guilt, which lasts for a few hours before the howling comes calling again, the singing, like harpies, the singing, it does not impart peace, or contentment, it is a calling, for immediate gratification, tomorrow can wait, tomorrow we look for peace, today, today there will be no peace, just the rush of blood through your veins, as you throw your head back, nose to the air, and howl with every cell in your body, at that moment, peace, balance, family, love, shame, guilt, ego, pride, nothing matters, not even death, the connection with the dark side, to go and play with the five thieves, to all go out and get drunk and have fun together, to overdose on all five, followed again by the comedown, the problems, physical, mental, financial, welcome to hell, the hell of short term, we can see what happens on the other side, but we never listen, never note, we behave like unintelligent savages, beneath a thin veneer of humanity and then pay lip service to the very concepts that will free us.

 

[Pathfinder]

Charadi kala - to me is to ascend towards WaheGuru- to always strive to keep progressing to a better 'oneself' than yesterday.

To always remain on this quest no matter what the odds.

To always crawl a bit each day towards being a Gurmukh and a little away from the manmukh.

The easy answer to how? - By saying an Ardass for guidance, gratitude and inspiration each day.

There are days I stagnate and it hurts, there are days I slip down and it makes me heavier with despair and gets tougher to climb back up. But I remind myself that I must strive to keep this journey going at all costs no matter how tough the odds.

I tell myself - 'Captain on deck'. At night the bridge or the navigating space is in absolute darkness due reasons of visibility. Each officer / crew on the bridge is at absolute alertness at all times but when this announcement is heard the degree is enhanced a hundred fold automatically. Not out of fear but out of respect for the 'old man'. One cannot see the 'Captain' most times even hear him in pin drop silence or the pitch dark but one can always feel his prescence.
The fact that my 'Captain' is on deck keeps me in check. When I feel negative, wicked, sinful etc all I have to do is announce - 'Captain on deck'. Weird logic maybe but works for me, lol.

At sea the captain invariably catches you as soon as you slip up. WaheGuru cautions you before you do.
The Captain is on board the vessel at all times, no ship can sail without a commander.

?? What's with these fonts?? Lol..

 

[RD1]

Sikhism promotes active and positive disposition as opposed to restrictive and negative world view

A positive disposition in addition to practicing gratitude have been shown in psychological studies (easily can be searched online) to bring about more happiness, and peace of mind. These are so called "ancient wisdom" that "science" is only now starting to recognize. The way we frame our minds impacts how we view the world, and react to the world. So in essence, as you seem to have alluded to, if we want to be in a state of chardi kala, we truly have to embody this notion, and ingrain it into our very existence. And it will essentially take continual practice, and training of our minds, to embrace chardi kala.

of course the question then begs why is everyone not living in chardi kala, I would use two words 'short term'

So true! We are forever enthralled by maya, by this "instant gratification." It takes conscious effort for us to take a moment to reflect on these desires, rather that diving right in, and realize that while these may satisfy in the short-term, what is this accomplishing for us overall? Are we going to gain harmony, peace, and understanding? Will this allow us to expand our depths, connect with something more fulfilling, or just graze the surface?

Being a giver of love, and not getting attached, as you have mentioned, certainly can assist with bringing happiness in addition to harmony, and ultimately facilitate chardi kala. All this helps us to live more "in the moment," and in such a state we can remain detached from the past, the future, and all our emotions, desires, and irrationality entangled with such. Perhaps only love will remain. If we can absorb each moment as it comes, take it for as it is, how liberating it would be, and in chardi kala we can rejoice.
 

At sea the captain invariably catches you as soon as you slip up. WaheGuru cautions you before you do.
The Captain is on board the vessel at all times, no ship can sail without a commander.

Wonderful analogy!

There are days I stagnate and it hurts, there are days I slip down and it makes me heavier with despair and gets tougher to climb back up. But I remind myself that I must strive to keep this journey going at all costs no matter how tough the odds.

This is what I have been finding challenging lately - to get back up, and be able to ascend back to a more chardi kala type of mindset. I felt a couple of years ago that I had undergone tremendous spiritual growth. I was consistently in introspection, and truly embraced this mindset of "come whatever may." Whatever the One brings, it does not matter, all that mattered is feeling connected to the One. I even felt so connected to nature, just in awe of the immense beauty we have been blessed to experience. And my compassion and openness for my fellow human beings was at its peak. There really was this feeling of surrender, that was accompanied with a feeling of peace and harmony - like being in chardi kala.

I felt blessed to have reached this state, and only wanted to keep growing. I felt that now that I have tasted this, there is no way I can leave it. But here I am now, miles and miles away from that previous state. Craving and missing it. I felt that before I kind of naturally progressed into it...now as much as I try, it is not the same. I have fallen into this rut of having more negative feelings within, being awakened to and despising the inhumane slave world we live in, feeling less creative and less inspired, and feeling more hopeless.

Perhaps, as you said, I must keep crawling a little bit each day; its the only thing that is truly worth it...

 

[Sikhilove]

A positive disposition in addition to practicing gratitude have been shown in psychological studies (easily can be searched online) to bring about more happiness, and peace of mind. These are so called "ancient wisdom" that "science" is only now starting to recognize. The way we frame our minds impacts how we view the world, and react to the world. So in essence, as you seem to have alluded to, if we want to be in a state of chardi kala, we truly have to embody this notion, and ingrain it into our very existence. And it will essentially take continual practice, and training of our minds, to embrace chardi kala.



So true! We are forever enthralled by maya, by this "instant gratification." It takes conscious effort for us to take a moment to reflect on these desires, rather that diving right in, and realize that while these may satisfy in the short-term, what is this accomplishing for us overall? Are we going to gain harmony, peace, and understanding? Will this allow us to expand our depths, connect with something more fulfilling, or just graze the surface?

Being a giver of love, and not getting attached, as you have mentioned, certainly can assist with bringing happiness in addition to harmony, and ultimately facilitate chardi kala. All this helps us to live more "in the moment," and in such a state we can remain detached from the past, the future, and all our emotions, desires, and irrationality entangled with such. Perhaps only love will remain. If we can absorb each moment as it comes, take it for as it is, how liberating it would be, and in chardi kala we can rejoice.
 


Wonderful analogy!



This is what I have been finding challenging lately - to get back up, and be able to ascend back to a more chardi kala type of mindset. I felt a couple of years ago that I had undergone tremendous spiritual growth. I was consistently in introspection, and truly embraced this mindset of "come whatever may." Whatever the One brings, it does not matter, all that mattered is feeling connected to the One. I even felt so connected to nature, just in awe of the immense beauty we have been blessed to experience. And my compassion and openness for my fellow human beings was at its peak. There really was this feeling of surrender, that was accompanied with a feeling of peace and harmony - like being in chardi kala.

I felt blessed to have reached this state, and only wanted to keep growing. I felt that now that I have tasted this, there is no way I can leave it. But here I am now, miles and miles away from that previous state. Craving and missing it. I felt that before I kind of naturally progressed into it...now as much as I try, it is not the same. I have fallen into this rut of having more negative feelings within, being awakened to and despising the inhumane slave world we live in, feeling less creative and less inspired, and feeling more hopeless.

Perhaps, as you said, I must keep crawling a little bit each day; its the only thing that is truly worth it...

Be positive. No matter what happens, what and who we come across, we bow in Truth recognition- it's all just Him teaching us reactions to emotions that he himself wishes to experience through us.

Enjoy your life, be happy and positive and if you come across a bad soul, even if the scariest looking demon comes out of the depths of hell, we laugh and say, oh God i see you, I know Its just you. See truth in all, even the seemingly bad, and forgive and let go of the negativity.

 

[Harry Haller]

Be positive. No matter what happens, what and who we come across, we bow in Truth recognition- it's all just Him teaching us reactions to emotions that he himself wishes to experience through us.

Enjoy your life, be happy and positive and if you come across a bad soul, even if the scariest looking demon comes out of the depths of hell, we laugh and say, oh God i see you, I know Its just you. See truth in all, even the seemingly bad, and forgive and let go of the negativity.

So what would you do if someone was trying to kill you? how would you deal with that given the above?

 

[Sikhilove]

Lol you are awesome. Who knows, maybe I'd fall and react in maya, scared out of my wits.

Or maybe I'd recognise my potential murderer as my beloved dressed up and be strong and fight back like He would likely want me to. Or accept shaheedi in peace, whatever He wants me to do.

 

[Harry Haller]

Lol you are awesome. Who knows, maybe I'd fall and react in maya, scared out of my wits.

Or maybe I'd recognise my potential murderer as my beloved dressed up and be strong and fight back like He would likely want me to. Or accept shaheedi in peace, whatever He wants me to do.

How do you know what he wants you to do?