Exercise in charity

Physical exercise is generally about the individual self, where the “I” factor predominates. Some of the reasons people exercise include” feeling and looking good, staying healthy, relieving personal stress etc.” Each of those is prefaced by “I desire…”. There is no doubt that regular physical exercise has great benefits, but it can turn into a selfish action when the focus is purely on the body. Physical activity may be transformed into an act of giving when undertaken as a platform for raising money for a cause, such as running, biking or walking for charity. This however, is more of a ceremonial activity as it is generally not done as a daily routine. Exercising, like breathing cannot be done away with, and must be practiced regularly to keep the bodily engine humming in optimal condition. By changing our mental attitude towards physical activity, we can use it to reshape the “I” into a bigger or smaller version of its current state.

Expansion and dissolution

Expansion and dissolution are certainties of human life, which hangs in the balance between these two phenomena. Equity between the two is rarely, if ever achieved from the perspective of our limited, individual existence. An imbalance between the contrasting forces of expansion and dissolution, especially in the mind, is more common and is a major cause of stress in day to day life. At the physical level, these forces crest and fall, processes we call growth and ageing. The first half of life is a period of growth and expansion of the physical frame. Once this process peaks, the forces of dissolution gradually set in. In the mind, there is a more rapid turnover of these two processes. They happen in every thought. Desires result in expansion of the mind. Along with this there is dissolution of the awareness of our inner reality. Most people spend their lives moderating an ever-expanding mind full of desires. What little happiness that is obtained comes only through the fulfillment of a small fraction of a large bank of desires. When there is complete dissolution of the mind and awareness is set free, immense bliss floods in. Dissolution is the great leveler, especially when it comes to the human body. However, when applied to the mind, something which is rarely done, it can expand our awareness.