The Law of Attraction is a dangerous thing

The Law of Attraction states that you can manifest whatever creations you want in your life through a combination of mental techniques including visualisation, affirmation and repeated, emotive concentration on whatever it is you want. For instance, if you want a green Mercedes, then you see it in your mind, feel yourself possessing it on a regular basis and concentrate on the idea of owning it repeatedly until, voila, the universe ‘conspires’ in a way which brings it to you.

Does this technique work? Yes, with the right kind of concentration, because the mind is a very powerful tool. The mind controls the physical world and can ‘make’ things happen on an external level. But I think the whole arena of trying to attract material things into your life is dangerous thing. This is because we already are practising the law of attraction unconsciously and creating everything in our experience that will help us organically grow towards our goals. Taking away negative thinking habits and practising positive attitude is a good thing, but consciously deciding to attract material goods can be contradictory to what we are trying to achieve on a deeper level. For instance, if we want to have a very simple life on a deeper level, but consciously choose to attract all kinds of complications like demanding jobs and relationships, then we will ultimately not be able to manifest what we really want because our ‘signals’ to the universe will be contradictory.

To practise the law of attraction, a person really has to know themselves very well. And a person who is very knowledgeable rarely hankers after worldly things.

Apart from all this, there is the issue of karma. We have a history with various people and some of our past decisions will have future consequences which we can’t just change. What we can change, however, is the way we react to situations and consequences, and that in turn will effect a future change.

Being vegetarian

As a young child, I used to eat all kinds of meat and fish. In fact, I don’t even like to mention some kinds of meat that I happily ate. But as the years wore on, I began questioning meat on every level. Now I’ve been 100% vegetarian for about eleven years.

I honestly don’t know why meat began bothering me in the first place. I used to love the taste, but at around age seven, I began disliking the flavour. After that, I began associating meat with the act of killing and bloodshed. A lot of people argue that it’s natural for humans to be omnivores, but I feel we’ve reached a state of consciousness in which what we eat is a choice, not just an instinct. It may feel ‘natural’ to start a fight with someone or to be promiscuous, but we make conscious decisions which instincts we should follow through with – that’s what makes us responsible individuals and allows societies to progress. Even primitive societies display such traits of consciousness – it’s the hallmark of human evolution. I think being vegetarian is an important choice, both for the individual and for the ecological systems we contribute to. Animals live on instinct, but in a way which is in sync with nature. The way in which we consume meat these days is definitely not in sync with nature.

The meat industry keeps and produces livestock in a very ecologically-unfriendly way just in order to make money. The natural balances of the food chain are disrupted and the proliferation of diseases becomes much higher. I realise that vegetables are grown in artificial ways too, and that there are now options to buy organic meat, but despite all this, the risks of producing meat are always less natural and more detrimental in terms of self-sufficiency, the environment and individual health. A lot of people think that vegetarians miss out on vital food elements, specially protein. But this is simply not true if someone follows a balanced diet. For all these reasons, I think it’s worth being vegetarian.

Where to live – east or west?

My husband and I have been living in India for over two years now. After being settled in the UK, we relocated to the east for work reasons. Now we’re about to have a baby, I’ve been thinking a lot about which society is best to settle in – the east or the west?

Our background is that we’re both British Indian (Indian origin but were brought up in the UK when our parents emigrated there for their careers). Now our parents are retired and resettled in India, which is an unusual trend even today (migrating back to the homeland after 30 years working and living abroad). My husband was born in the UK and I was born in India; his family is originally South Indian and mine North Indian – but apart from those differences, we have a very similar cultural identity. We were raised in a British society, with British friends and pastimes, but our family life was Indian. As a result, we’ve become very mixed in our cultural outlook, and open to living in different societies.

There are so many considerations when it comes to deciding where to live. One is work and finances, then there’s the environment, social values, education, family life and, the all-important, everyday lifestyle. In almost every category, the west has a more established infrastructure which we find easier to live with, but then again in every category, the east offers more variety and unpredictability which makes life more exciting. In terms of health and safety, environmental awareness, education, I prefer the west’s sense of order. But our family is now mainly in the east, so social values and everyday lifestyle are better for us in India right now. I also like the fact that the sun comes out everyday, as it does have an uplifting effect. It’s a very difficult decision between logic and emotion (west=logic, east=emotion).

To some extent, as the recession looms, the decision is not entirely up to us. We’ll have to consider the work situation at the end of the year and that will be one of the priorities for where to settle. I think raising a child in a safe and secure environment is important, but a bit of unpredictability and a richer family life are important too.

Life-saving values

Every human being needs a set of values to live by. Even if you think you should live without any principles then that, too, is a particular kind of philosophy.

Values are good and help us develop. But values must be modified continuously. They must reflect our personal experiences and growing understanding of the world. They should not be taken from someone else and followed blindly.

Values can cause great harm or can help us heal. I have a story about this…

One of my dear friends spent most of his childhood dealing with drug abuse. At the age of 18, he was involved in a car accident in which he lost some of his close friends. That was his wake-up call. As a result of this shattering experience, he turned to religion for comfort and safety. He found truth in a religion which supported celibacy and a ‘pure’ lifestyle (in terms of diet etc). My friend, Max, accepted everything the religion said because the religion kept him safe from a world of confusion and risk.

But Max entered into a battle between his instinctive need to be in relationships and the idea that he should remain celibacy. He felt that sexual desire was the same as lust, and therefore it was wrong (impure). Every relationship he experimented with proved to him that sex was wrong, because he was constantly judging himself through the eyes of this religion.

I feel that Max was influenced by two belief systems:
1) The attitude of total self-indulgence (not thinking about the consequences and giving into youth peer pressure)
2) The attitude of total self-protection (fear of being hurt by outside forces and therefore following a rigid spiritual practice)

It’s very difficult for Max to get a balance between the two values that have influenced him. That’s why it’s important to trust one’s own experiences and understanding to define one’s values, instead of following any kind of group (either through peer pressure or through religion).

I’m sure that Max will one day find a balance and discover his own true values, but it’ll take some ‘unlearning’ to get there.

Abstinence

Yogis do not practise abstinence in order to punish themselves for no reason (sounds obvious but some people do believe this). For some, it seems ridiculous to deprive the body of something it enjoys, like food or sex. So, why is fasting or celibacy important to a dedicated yogi? Only because of the self-discipline and transcendental vision they facilitate.

Before going any further into this, I’d like to make clear that I am not a strict yogi. I practise yoga as and when necessary because it has health benefits for the mind, body and soul. I lead a relativity ‘normal’ life, although try to practise moderation, balance and purity (selflessness) of mind.

However, I can see the power that abstinence can give IF it is practised with TRUE belief and choice. To leave all the hankerings of the flesh and go deep within one’s self, overpower the small mind which chases after temporary pleasures and give one’s self the space and time to be one with the greater mind. If this is something that can happen naturally in a person’s life, then surely it represents a level of contentment within that person.