Even though doing comes after being, being is known through doing. Having results from doing. Thus doing and having flow from being. There are essence, existence, and accidents (nonessential qualities of an entity). Essence precedes existence; existence and accidents determine essence giving it form, shape, and uniqueness. I want to mention here some important and necessary concepts to understand being, doing, and having without getting into a great deal of philosophy. A tree (essence and existence) is known by its fruits (accidents). Certain fruits are delicious and fetch money; other fruits are useless and may even be toxic. So are with people. Some people do evil and destructive things, and cause themselves and others to suffer. Most people do good things that benefit themselves and others. People, who work hard and generate wealth which in turn can buy things, can improve their quality of life. They can also help others who can benefit from their wealth. They can also use their wealth for destructive aims while their fellow humans do not have the bare essentials to survive. What anyone does at any one time depends on one's value system, purpose in life, world-view, and philosophy of life. A person who works for the unity of humanity or strives to develop solidarity with other fellow humans and has a sense of the common good would use one's wealth and resources differently from the one who has no social sense. While there are some rich people who use their wealth for the benefit of the poor, there are many who hoard wealth at the expense of society that helped them to achieve it.

             In a well-ordered society the gap between the rich and the poor will not be marked. The rich will be honored not for their wealth but how they spend their wealth for the least in society. In fact there will not be any rich and poor.A spirit-led person works and acquires wealth and possessions for the well-being of one's family and society. Such a person does not flaunt wealth and possessions. In a consumer, materialistic world power and prestige acquired by money determine almost everything. In such a society success is measured by the amount of wealth one has and what one can buy and possess. Gautam who had boundless wealth renounced it and went after enlightenment. Christ who emptied himself to become a man lived a life of the spirit and was not known to have material possessions. Gandhi who could have acquired immense wealth chose to live a simple life devoid of pomp and circumstances though according to a wisecrack it cost quite some money to keep him in poverty. True great men and women of the world did not go after money or solicit funds to build great institutions or places of worship. All that shows greatness is measured by the content of one's character as Martin Luther King, Jr., said. That also shows greatness can be achieved by all. The secret of greatness and spirit-life is the integration of who one is, how one works/does, and what one has, that is, the integration of being, doing, and having.
          
A Deep Respect for the Entire Universe

Mindfulness as Conscious Presence to the Unity of Humanity

             I strongly feel the whole creation is groaning for the unity of humanity. The creation is inviting us to come together and celebrate life. Life has plenty to offer. We are not sufficiently tapping the emotional and spiritual energy. We are stuck at the physical energy level. We are titillated by sex, power, and money that can buy power, attract and subdue the so-called most beautiful women or handsome men. We display titles, medals, degrees: these are our toys. We are mesmerized by appearances; we rarely penetrate the phenomenon (appearances) to reach the noumenon (reality) underlying it. The world with all its charm and pizzazz does not mind in seducing us. We are constantly told about celebrities and beauty queens, what they do, where they live, what they eat, what they wear, whom they date, and how much of their body and what part they bare. Again when we are talking about a beautiful woman we are not generally talking about her character but her external form and vital statistics. We live their life vicariously and foolishly. This is truly a pathetic situation. We fall for all that. We become suckers again and again. They make money off of our poor self-esteem and lack of purpose and spirit-life. Where they are they cannot have any answers for our life except a momentary fix. When it is too late, and when people are too old, they realize their follies. Many fail to reach the final stage of ego integrity described by Erik Erikson in his psycho-social stages of development. The distractions are so many and so great that we are losing sense of who we are, what we are about, and why we are this world. This disastrous and horrible situation needs to go.

             We need to re-assert authority on our own life. We do not need any authority to tell us how to live our life. In fact nobody can tell us as all are in unchartered territory. We need to seek guidance when we are stuck or need it. We need to live a moral and ethical life. We need to follow societal rules, regulations, and guidelines for common good that do not conflict with morality. For the rest, we need to charter the course for our own life. A deep respect and awe for the universe is indispensable. The universe is full of everyday miracles. The bat-size, colorful butterfly that came into my ashram, the kingfisher diving into the stream to lift a fish, the graceful blackbird that wade under water up and down the stream, the humming birds and and the honey-suckers (kuruvi) that flit from flower to flower, the beautiful sunsets, the sun breaking through the clouds in myriads of hues, the magnificent calls of birds, the unending varieties of flowers, the cascading mountain streams and breath-taking waterfalls – these are but a few scenes around our ashrams. True, not all can enjoy these miracles because many are preoccupied with stilling the pangs of hunger. It is incumbent on us all to facilitate the enjoyment of these miracles for all. All have the God-given right to enjoy these every-day miracles so they do not get into destructive distractions.

             Mindfulness as constant mental presence or awareness is necessary for a high quality of life. And this mindfulness as conscious presence only can grasp the unity of humanity. The unity of humanity is an integral part of the unity of creation. Awareness of the unity of creation instills deep reverence and respect for the entire universe. A spirit-led person is deeply aware of the unity of creation. Mysticism in my mind begins with awe and reverence for the marvelous universe and the power or the creator who made it possible. God smiles through the flower that blooms. An innocent smile of a child points us to God. The vast creation is God's paradise, garden, and playground made for us.