10 Quick Ways to Increase Your Happiness

Here are 10 quick ways to increase your happiness - by no means an exhaustive list, nor in any particular order. If you have some more better ways, feel free to share in the comments :)...

(1) Retail therapy
In America, if you go into a mall they usually have a regular announcement that "Shopping is good for you. It has been shown to make you lose weight and make you happier". That's probably because a lot of Americans are obese - but get the flavor (notice the lack of 'u'). Also, online shopping isn't the same - go into a store, have a coffee, window shop!

(2) Take a cold shower

Known as hydrotherapy, most athletes take cold showers to increase blood flow to all the parts of their body. Plus, sometimes the intense pain of cold water can make you burst out laughing because all your parts are frozen, yes ALL your parts (but don't worry - it's just momentarily!)

(3) Go swimming

The scientists say water is meant to be good for you, so why not swim in it? Also, regular swimming makes you pee more often, purging your body of unnecessary things and thus making you healthier which makes you happier - it's a long shot - but I think it works!

(4) Go for a run

Running makes you sweat, therefore lose water. So its the complete opposite to No. 3, but for some reason still has the same effect. Try it, try running a mile and hopefully if you don't pass out you'll be able to enjoy the sudden rush of adrenaline.

(5) Eat your favourite desert

I like chocolate and sometimes I eat it for breakfast. You only live once so why not!? (assuming you're not Buddhist - in which case you might live a bit longer than that). Eating a desert gives you a nice feeling inside. Besides, if there is a God, why would he create such nice deserts and put them in out local Tescos if we weren't meant to eat them? It's not like the forbidden tree or anything? A bit of gluttony never hurt anybody (except maybe those that are diabetic or American)

(6) Help somebody

It's good to help people, apparently. It makes you feel good because then you know they need you and it puts you in a position of power, which boosts your ego, which makes you feel good. So yeah. You should help people :).

(7) Donate to charity

Most people donate to charity because they cannot be bothered to do the charity work themselves. So why not pay off some big charities to do your dirty work? Its like outsourcing No. 6.

(8) Find a hobby

Most people are boring - so finding a hobby may add to your social life - give you something to talk about. Some people talk too much, but don't have any hobbies, so then you can finally shut them up by saying "I have a hobby XYZ, what do you do?". And then they will say "Oh...I.....I...I...". And then you can just say "Hahahahahhahaha", and then walk off.

(9) Read a book

Its good to read, apparently. Reading is not just for geeks, its also for geeks with IPads and Kindles. Reading makes you more intellectual, which gives you more questions and makes you more confused than you were before. It's a bit like telling a centipede to start thinking about how to walk, he forgets and then falls over. So, in conclusion: it's good to read.

(10) Watch Ali G videos

The G in Ali G actually stands for God. Also, thanks to my Uncle Google, all the episodes are now available on my Counsin's small website called YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/show?p=WLa5SYaia8s

10 Quick Ways to Increase Your Happiness

Here are 10 quick ways to increase your happiness - by no means an exhaustive list, nor in any particular order. If you have some more better ways, feel free to share in the comments :)...

(1) Retail therapy
In America, if you go into a mall they usually have a regular announcement that "Shopping is good for you. It has been shown to make you lose weight and make you happier". That's probably because a lot of Americans are obese - but get the flavor (notice the lack of 'u'). Also, online shopping isn't the same - go into a store, have a coffee, window shop!

(2) Take a cold shower

Known as hydrotherapy, most athletes take cold showers to increase blood flow to all the parts of their body. Plus, sometimes the intense pain of cold water can make you burst out laughing because all your parts are frozen, yes ALL your parts (but don't worry - it's just momentarily!)

(3) Go swimming

The scientists say water is meant to be good for you, so why not swim in it? Also, regular swimming makes you pee more often, purging your body of unnecessary things and thus making you healthier which makes you happier - it's a long shot - but I think it works!

(4) Go for a run

Running makes you sweat, therefore lose water. So its the complete opposite to No. 3, but for some reason still has the same effect. Try it, try running a mile and hopefully if you don't pass out you'll be able to enjoy the sudden rush of adrenaline.

(5) Eat your favourite desert

I like chocolate and sometimes I eat it for breakfast. You only live once so why not!? (assuming you're not Buddhist - in which case you might live a bit longer than that). Eating a desert gives you a nice feeling inside. Besides, if there is a God, why would he create such nice deserts and put them in out local Tescos if we weren't meant to eat them? It's not like the forbidden tree or anything? A bit of gluttony never hurt anybody (except maybe those that are diabetic or American)

(6) Help somebody

It's good to help people, apparently. It makes you feel good because then you know they need you and it puts you in a position of power, which boosts your ego, which makes you feel good. So yeah. You should help people :).

(7) Donate to charity

Most people donate to charity because they cannot be bothered to do the charity work themselves. So why not pay off some big charities to do your dirty work? Its like outsourcing No. 6.

(8) Find a hobby

Most people are boring - so finding a hobby may add to your social life - give you something to talk about. Some people talk too much, but don't have any hobbies, so then you can finally shut them up by saying "I have a hobby XYZ, what do you do?". And then they will say "Oh...I.....I...I...". And then you can just say "Hahahahahhahaha", and then walk off.

(9) Read a book

Its good to read, apparently. Reading is not just for geeks, its also for geeks with IPads and Kindles. Reading makes you more intellectual, which gives you more questions and makes you more confused than you were before. It's a bit like telling a centipede to start thinking about how to walk, he forgets and then falls over. So, in conclusion: it's good to read.

(10) Watch Ali G videos

The G in Ali G actually stands for God. Also, thanks to my Uncle Google, all the episodes are now available on my Counsin's small website called YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/show?p=WLa5SYaia8s

Quote of the Day - Trust In The Divine

"Trust in the Divine, and take it a day at a time"

Jo from Judge John Deed

Quote of the Day - Trust In The Divine

"Trust in the Divine, and take it a day at a time"

Jo from Judge John Deed

Quote of the Day - Living

"Love life. Live simple. Laugh lots."

By Guru's Grace - 29/09/2010

Quote of the Day - Living

"Love life. Live simple. Laugh lots."

By Guru's Grace - 29/09/2010

Becoming Enlightened

I sometimes find it hard to put into words what it means to be enlightened and liberated. There comes a time on the spiritual path when one has this realisation, that there is no need to do anything to be enlightened, it is rather the undoing of everything that makes one enlightened.

I can openly, easily tell you: I'm liberated, I'm enlightened. I know it. It's just a realisation. It doesn't really mean anything though, doesn't really make much difference. The only difference is that being enlightened, I don't have to struggle with life, life just works because I'm not going against its flow. I can handle it. Not being enlightened means always struggling towards some goal, aim, perfection and never achieving it and then feeling guilty your whole damn life. The saying "running like a headless chicken" comes to mind. But you see, even if you're enlightened, you're still an idiot. If you're not enlightened, you're just a bigger idiot. In the world, we have a lot of big idiots. Majority of people are big idiots running around like headless chickens. I'm not sure how a chicken runs without a head, this appears to defy all logic, but you get the gist of the quote, I hope.

One is always an idiot, because one can never know The Truth. No matter how enlightened one is, one can never know The Truth. Perhaps there is no such thing. Perhaps not. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps. Perhaps. I love that word, it has a ring to it.

One can only know a truth, their own truth, their own selves. That's it. That's where is finishes. This is because all our five senses are flawed, they give us incorrect impressions about life and existence. Even the sixth sense is flawed, its open to error. Also, we're only 3 dimensional beings - we can't understand the other dimensions - we can't understand what wider organism or existence we are a part of.

One idiot creates a theory, that the Universe is X, Y, Z. It'll always be a theory. No maths is sufficient to explain the Universe. No science or physics is sufficient to explain it, neither is any philosophy or any religion. Everything is either interpretation or assumption. It's all flawed. Yes, we've worked out some rules which make cars run and propel rockets into space, but ultimately nothing is absolute. Laws change. The universe changes. There is a constant flow which cannot be captured by any formula. A formula is static. Existence is changing.

When one dissolves all their notions, one can just simply be themselves. Just simply be, without "having" to be something, or "needing" to do anything or thinking that one "should" do something. Without being driven towards any aim, any goal, any standard. The emotions are there, but there is no fight towards them. It's not anything but a choice, albeit a courageous choice. Doesn't matter what the emotions are, however disturbing or not disturbing, there's no fight and there's no running away from them. It's not anything but a choice. Just let go of it. Drop it. Simply choose to be.

The process of enlightenment is simply the process of learning to experiment with your emotions. Meditation is just experimentation. You get to experiment with what's in your head, in your conscious, subconscious, in your unconscious, in your super-conscious. Then after you know it, you have no fight or flight towards it. You give you those beliefs or ideas which go against your biology, against the needs of your body, and you simply learn to be. You become very human, very normal, very down-to-earth. You become innocent, and you know you're innocent. You become simple. You become uncomplicated. You become open to all views, even those that directly oppose yours. You stop reacting against idiotic people, you learn to accept them. You stop reacting against your parents.

Even if you come across a real bitch, or a bastard, you learn to accept them as a part of yourself. The bitch that you see, is just a projection of the bitch in you. The pretty girl that you see, is just a projection of the pretty girl in you. The ugly person that you see, is the ugly person in you. You learn to not invest your emotions in anybody, not your family, not your friends, not God, not your teacher, not spiritual angels, nor the devil. You learn to be alone, not needing anybody, not needing anything. Simply being alone, happy, content, joyful.

Osho, in the video below, describes the same kind of process I myself went through to become enlightened. I was just as strict with my routine, getting up at 4am without fail each day. Having a cold shower. Doing hours of meditation. Everything timed perfectly. Everything considered. Everything disciplined. Until a time comes, when one must let go of everything. And I mean everything, including your religion, your spirituality, your views, your God. It's all something which you think you "should" do or think. You don't realise it is just something which you have been led to believe is important, but really nothing is important by itself, unless you chose to give it importance. One must destroy everything one has created, every concept, in order to be left with nothing but nothingness, zero, nothing but one's own aloneness, one's own self without desiring anything, including God. Enlightenment is not something, but quite the opposite, it's nothing:




Osho - The Day I Became Enlightened from arun prem rajasingh on Vimeo.

P.S. I'm now changing the tagline of this blog from "A blog about how to become a better human being day-by-day, moment-by-moment" to "A blog about how to be human in each moment, everyday", which better reflects its purpose to allow people to learn to be, rather than aiming towards something or trying to be be something.

Becoming Enlightened

I sometimes find it hard to put into words what it means to be enlightened and liberated. There comes a time on the spiritual path when one has this realisation, that there is no need to do anything to be enlightened, it is rather the undoing of everything that makes one enlightened.

I can openly, easily tell you: I'm liberated, I'm enlightened. I know it. It's just a realisation. It doesn't really mean anything though, doesn't really make much difference. The only difference is that being enlightened, I don't have to struggle with life, life just works because I'm not going against its flow. I can handle it. Not being enlightened means always struggling towards some goal, aim, perfection and never achieving it and then feeling guilty your whole damn life. The saying "running like a headless chicken" comes to mind. But you see, even if you're enlightened, you're still an idiot. If you're not enlightened, you're just a bigger idiot. In the world, we have a lot of big idiots. Majority of people are big idiots running around like headless chickens. I'm not sure how a chicken runs without a head, this appears to defy all logic, but you get the gist of the quote, I hope.

One is always an idiot, because one can never know The Truth. No matter how enlightened one is, one can never know The Truth. Perhaps there is no such thing. Perhaps not. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps. Perhaps. I love that word, it has a ring to it.

One can only know a truth, their own truth, their own selves. That's it. That's where is finishes. This is because all our five senses are flawed, they give us incorrect impressions about life and existence. Even the sixth sense is flawed, its open to error. Also, we're only 3 dimensional beings - we can't understand the other dimensions - we can't understand what wider organism or existence we are a part of.

One idiot creates a theory, that the Universe is X, Y, Z. It'll always be a theory. No maths is sufficient to explain the Universe. No science or physics is sufficient to explain it, neither is any philosophy or any religion. Everything is either interpretation or assumption. It's all flawed. Yes, we've worked out some rules which make cars run and propel rockets into space, but ultimately nothing is absolute. Laws change. The universe changes. There is a constant flow which cannot be captured by any formula. A formula is static. Existence is changing.

When one dissolves all their notions, one can just simply be themselves. Just simply be, without "having" to be something, or "needing" to do anything or thinking that one "should" do something. Without being driven towards any aim, any goal, any standard. The emotions are there, but there is no fight towards them. It's not anything but a choice, albeit a courageous choice. Doesn't matter what the emotions are, however disturbing or not disturbing, there's no fight and there's no running away from them. It's not anything but a choice. Just let go of it. Drop it. Simply choose to be.

The process of enlightenment is simply the process of learning to experiment with your emotions. Meditation is just experimentation. You get to experiment with what's in your head, in your conscious, subconscious, in your unconscious, in your super-conscious. Then after you know it, you have no fight or flight towards it. You give you those beliefs or ideas which go against your biology, against the needs of your body, and you simply learn to be. You become very human, very normal, very down-to-earth. You become innocent, and you know you're innocent. You become simple. You become uncomplicated. You become open to all views, even those that directly oppose yours. You stop reacting against idiotic people, you learn to accept them. You stop reacting against your parents.

Even if you come across a real bitch, or a bastard, you learn to accept them as a part of yourself. The bitch that you see, is just a projection of the bitch in you. The pretty girl that you see, is just a projection of the pretty girl in you. The ugly person that you see, is the ugly person in you. You learn to not invest your emotions in anybody, not your family, not your friends, not God, not your teacher, not spiritual angels, nor the devil. You learn to be alone, not needing anybody, not needing anything. Simply being alone, happy, content, joyful.

Osho, in the video below, describes the same kind of process I myself went through to become enlightened. I was just as strict with my routine, getting up at 4am without fail each day. Having a cold shower. Doing hours of meditation. Everything timed perfectly. Everything considered. Everything disciplined. Until a time comes, when one must let go of everything. And I mean everything, including your religion, your spirituality, your views, your God. It's all something which you think you "should" do or think. You don't realise it is just something which you have been led to believe is important, but really nothing is important by itself, unless you chose to give it importance. One must destroy everything one has created, every concept, in order to be left with nothing but nothingness, zero, nothing but one's own aloneness, one's own self without desiring anything, including God. Enlightenment is not something, but quite the opposite, it's nothing:




Osho - The Day I Became Enlightened from arun prem rajasingh on Vimeo.

P.S. I'm now changing the tagline of this blog from "A blog about how to become a better human being day-by-day, moment-by-moment" to "A blog about how to be human in each moment, everyday", which better reflects its purpose to allow people to learn to be, rather than aiming towards something or trying to be be something.

A Guide to Divination from Mamacreepy.com

Divination, the art of predicting the future, has been in used in many forms since the beginning of time. Records of various forms of divination can be found in all cultures.The word "divination" is based on a Latin word that means "the faculty of foreseeing.” The word comes from the Latin word for "divine power," or "of the gods." This indicates that the true meaning of the word "divination" is "to make divine."

This guide is meant to explain and give a small overview of the most popular forms of foreseeing the future. There are many books and websites that can give much more detail on a given type of divination. Our friends at PaganSpace.net also have many knowledgeable people on their discussion boards, and  the archived topic threads are a wonderful source of information!

The most common types of divination include:
Astrology – Astrology is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars. True astrology is nothing like the funny quotes in daily newspapers, and even less like the instant charts on websites. True astrology is a complicated science, and requires intense training. A trained astrologer researches and makes predictions based on a person's birth date, time and planetary influences. For a true and accurate divination using Astrology, consult a professional Astrologer, like our friend Donna Stellhorn.

Cartomancy – Cartomancy is the practice of fortune telling using cards such as a Tarot deck, or regular playing cards, an old Romany form of divination.  Tarot is used to portend the future, give guidance on interactions with loved ones, and give ways in which to deal with dilemmas. The Tarot has a multi-dimensional quality, where one can deal with the apparent mundane, material concerns, as well as the less apparent spiritual aspects of someone's life - and all that exists in between.

Clairaudience and clairvoyance – This is the hearing and seeing of information not readily available to others. These are the fields of the 'true psychic', and often involve touching a person, or an object that belongs to them. Parapsychologists generally regard these as 'ESP', or extrasensory perception.

Dowsing – Dowsing is a method of divination involving a pendulum, forked stick or dowsing rods — also known as a divining rods — which have been historically used to locate water or treasure. These tools can also use the subconscious to point out useful information, answer questions, or lead the user to find something.

I Ching - one of the oldest forms of divination still in existence. The I Ching is not the work of an individual but the collective wisdom of generations spanning 3000 years. It is founded on the examination of nature and humanity, and stands for the schematic, rhythmic and purposeful cosmos. The I Ching affirms that by revealing to the conscious mind what is concealed in the subconscious mind, it is possible to predict the probable future and to choose a direction accordingly.

Numerology – Numerology is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters. Originally each letter of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets also stood for a number and therefore each word represented a number when its letters were added together. In this way a person's name could be reduced to a number and they would bear the characteristics associated with it. Each of the planets also has its individual
number and consequently the person who also bears that number is influenced by them. A person's date of birth can also be used in the same way, and when coupled with their 'name' number can foretell of things to come for a particular year in their life. Here is a great tool for finding out your Tantric Numerology based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

Ouija - A Ouija board (also known as a spirit board or talking board), is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, and other symbols.  It uses a planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood) or movable indicator to indicate the spirit's message by spelling it out on the board. The fingers of the séance participants are placed on the planchette, which then moves about the board to spell out words or become physically manifest.

Palmistry – Palmistry is the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand. Sometimes called 'palm-reading' this is one of the ancient methods of divination that has survived and is as popular today as it ever was. Palmistry however differs from other methods of divination in that it is completely personal as no two hands, like no two fingerprints, are identical. Chirosophy interprets the lines on the hand and chirognomy analyzes the shape of the hands and fingers.

Runes - a system of divination and magic from the Norse culture.  The Runes are symbols rooted in the natural world and as such can be touched and related to by anyone who is willing to ally themselves with them. They are carved on stones and gemstones, and use a system of casting and interpretation to tell the future. Rune symbols can also be carved on objects such as jewelry and candles for magical purposes.

Sciomancy – Sciomancy is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanellers. Chanellers use information from spirit guides, angelic beings, and those who have passed away to gather information about people and situations, or to pass along messages.

Scrying and crystallomancy - Forms of divination through gazing using a tool such as a mirror, bowl of water, cauldron, or a crystal ball. What you see can shed light on the present and guide future action. The word 'scry' comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'descry', which means to see. Crystallomancy differs from other forms of scrying such as tea leaves, because the images are not formed by the medium itself, but from within your psyche.

Tasseography – Tasseography is the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk. This is another ancient practice that has stood the test of time.

Reprinted from mamacreepy.com

A Guide to Divination from Mamacreepy.com

Divination, the art of predicting the future, has been in used in many forms since the beginning of time. Records of various forms of divination can be found in all cultures.The word "divination" is based on a Latin word that means "the faculty of foreseeing.” The word comes from the Latin word for "divine power," or "of the gods." This indicates that the true meaning of the word "divination" is "to make divine."

This guide is meant to explain and give a small overview of the most popular forms of foreseeing the future. There are many books and websites that can give much more detail on a given type of divination. Our friends at PaganSpace.net also have many knowledgeable people on their discussion boards, and  the archived topic threads are a wonderful source of information!

The most common types of divination include:
Astrology – Astrology is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars. True astrology is nothing like the funny quotes in daily newspapers, and even less like the instant charts on websites. True astrology is a complicated science, and requires intense training. A trained astrologer researches and makes predictions based on a person's birth date, time and planetary influences. For a true and accurate divination using Astrology, consult a professional Astrologer, like our friend Donna Stellhorn.

Cartomancy – Cartomancy is the practice of fortune telling using cards such as a Tarot deck, or regular playing cards, an old Romany form of divination.  Tarot is used to portend the future, give guidance on interactions with loved ones, and give ways in which to deal with dilemmas. The Tarot has a multi-dimensional quality, where one can deal with the apparent mundane, material concerns, as well as the less apparent spiritual aspects of someone's life - and all that exists in between.

Clairaudience and clairvoyance – This is the hearing and seeing of information not readily available to others. These are the fields of the 'true psychic', and often involve touching a person, or an object that belongs to them. Parapsychologists generally regard these as 'ESP', or extrasensory perception.

Dowsing – Dowsing is a method of divination involving a pendulum, forked stick or dowsing rods — also known as a divining rods — which have been historically used to locate water or treasure. These tools can also use the subconscious to point out useful information, answer questions, or lead the user to find something.

I Ching - one of the oldest forms of divination still in existence. The I Ching is not the work of an individual but the collective wisdom of generations spanning 3000 years. It is founded on the examination of nature and humanity, and stands for the schematic, rhythmic and purposeful cosmos. The I Ching affirms that by revealing to the conscious mind what is concealed in the subconscious mind, it is possible to predict the probable future and to choose a direction accordingly.

Numerology – Numerology is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters. Originally each letter of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets also stood for a number and therefore each word represented a number when its letters were added together. In this way a person's name could be reduced to a number and they would bear the characteristics associated with it. Each of the planets also has its individual
number and consequently the person who also bears that number is influenced by them. A person's date of birth can also be used in the same way, and when coupled with their 'name' number can foretell of things to come for a particular year in their life. Here is a great tool for finding out your Tantric Numerology based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

Ouija - A Ouija board (also known as a spirit board or talking board), is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, and other symbols.  It uses a planchette (small heart-shaped piece of wood) or movable indicator to indicate the spirit's message by spelling it out on the board. The fingers of the séance participants are placed on the planchette, which then moves about the board to spell out words or become physically manifest.

Palmistry – Palmistry is the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand. Sometimes called 'palm-reading' this is one of the ancient methods of divination that has survived and is as popular today as it ever was. Palmistry however differs from other methods of divination in that it is completely personal as no two hands, like no two fingerprints, are identical. Chirosophy interprets the lines on the hand and chirognomy analyzes the shape of the hands and fingers.

Runes - a system of divination and magic from the Norse culture.  The Runes are symbols rooted in the natural world and as such can be touched and related to by anyone who is willing to ally themselves with them. They are carved on stones and gemstones, and use a system of casting and interpretation to tell the future. Rune symbols can also be carved on objects such as jewelry and candles for magical purposes.

Sciomancy – Sciomancy is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanellers. Chanellers use information from spirit guides, angelic beings, and those who have passed away to gather information about people and situations, or to pass along messages.

Scrying and crystallomancy - Forms of divination through gazing using a tool such as a mirror, bowl of water, cauldron, or a crystal ball. What you see can shed light on the present and guide future action. The word 'scry' comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'descry', which means to see. Crystallomancy differs from other forms of scrying such as tea leaves, because the images are not formed by the medium itself, but from within your psyche.

Tasseography – Tasseography is the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk. This is another ancient practice that has stood the test of time.

Reprinted from mamacreepy.com