BOOK EXTRACT

very human has a hot button who was so great that he was invited that is carefully concealed from by the demigods to lead wars on their Ethe world. However careful behalf. Later he was blessed with a one may be, every once in a while boon of unlimited sleep to rest his tired someone does manage to press the hot limbs. While he was asleep, Shubha Villas button. How does one react when that tricked a demon named is a spiritual seeker & happens? And instead of pressing the to come into the cave and provoke a motivational speaker. button, what happens when someone him by kicking him hard. As soon as He holds a degree in engineering and law with hammers it? he was kicked, Muchukunda woke up a specialisation in patent When provoked, most humans react and burnt the demon to ashes instantly law. His first two books, either like a hagfish by throwing slimy by his yogic powers. Once the anger Rise of the Sun Prince and abusive words or like an electric eel by subsided, guilt of over-reacting took Shattered Dreams from his book series ‘ stinging with physical abuse. Or like over. Through this episode, Krishna – The Game of Life’, have an exploding ant by destroying itself teaches Muchukunda that the ability become national best by self-abuse. to handle provocation is the real sellers. In addition, he heads ISKCON Goa Project In the Bhagavata Puran, there is greatness-tester. One’s façade of a story of king named Muchukunda greatness falls at the first test of provocation. Generally, people poke and provoke one another for four reasons: = To hide their own inferiority = To become happy knowing that just like themselves, others are also immature in dealing with negativity = To escalate their levels of confidence by winning against those who are weaker = To transfer guilt of their own wrongdoing by making another guilty of succumbing to a provocation During a health test, one expects a needle prick and responds with tolerance while an unexpected prick of a thorn causes irritation. Similarly, when one accepts provocations as a test of mental strength, the response is

OPEN-EYED Author Shubha Villas Publisher Fingerprint! Belief Publishing No of pages 280 Price `250/-

82 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2016 like a vulnerable child helplessly asks him calmly if his feet hurt BOOK EXTRACT controlled by those weak moments. after kicking His hard chest. Bhrigu patience rather than annoyance. A feather can be blown away in any concludes that one who understands When was captured direction by the slightest breeze. that the provoker is the one who is in Lanka, Ravana’s ministers made A football can be kicked away in weak with insecurity and needs to be fun of him and provoked him. any direction by the lightest kick. compassionately dealt with. He is the Concluding that the tail represents But a rock stays intact no matter one who can never be provoked due the pride of a monkey, they lit his tail how much one blows on it and one to his greatness of vision. on fire. By taking shelter of prayers kicks it. The game of provocation When provoked, don’t react like a and summoning his inner strength, can be won only by de-escalating hagfish abusing verbally. Don’t react Hanuman did not allow the fire to it. Don’t allow the mind to escalate like an electric eel abusing physically. affect his persona. an ordinary provocation to turn Don’t react like an exploding ant Every human also has a tail that you from a respectable hero to a abusing oneself. Rather, become represents his pride. The moment that despicable joker. the rare human that responds like a tail is set on fire, we tend to overreact In the Bhagavata, Bhrigu Muni is tortoise by protecting oneself under and seethe in anger or become out to find who the greatest person the impenetrable shell of inner vulnerable and try to defend our self. in the universe is. He does that by strength, internal self-talk, and a The provocation per se doesn’t create provoking different personalities in compassionate vision. as much disturbance as one’s inability different ways and trying to analyse Every time one resists succumbing to handle it coolly like Hanuman. their reactions. to provocations, it’s another milestone As soon as one senses a After much research, he covered on the journey of personal provocation approaching, one should approaches Lord and tries to evolution. n begin an internal dialogue urging provoke Him by physically kicking This feature is excerpted from oneself not to grab the bait being Him on His chest in His own abode. Shubha Vilas' latest book thrown. Every time we succumb to He is shocked when he sees Vishnu Open-Eyed available at reacting to a provocation, we become totally unaffected and instead leading bookstores in Goa