Labyrinth Pilgrimage

http://www.gratefulness.org/labyrinth/index.htm

This is a wonderful tool for self-reflection which can be used to come out of a problem, crises or depression. Here, one goes on a journey to the center through a lot of twists, stopping in-between and then one traces back to the outside. There can be different interpretations on this tool. This is what I have experienced...

The labyrinth is a model of how our soul gets deep into the worldly life and then again comes out. One can say that the center is when we are totally immersed and helpless in the worldly life. Going through this practice helps in realizing that there are no short-cuts in life but there is steady progress.

Another interpretation is this...the center can be viewed as when we have solved our core problem on our recovery from worldly life crises but still need to come out.of the remains of the problem...like how someone after destroying a demon in a castle has to come out safely when the castle starts crumbling in the absence of the demon. Hence it's important to complete everything that one has started not just for peace but also for happiness. In the Mahabharatha war, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, knew how to penetrate the Padmavyuha but did not know how to come out of it. This led to his death, although heroic.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmavyuha

Note the similarity between the labyrinth in the 2 links.

A note of caution or forewarning to my Russian friends

I'm not too much into politics but I find that there seems to be 2 factions within Russia which is in a power-struggle or dog-fight or whatever one calls it. One has financial power and the other has the intelligence power. Presently it's the latter who is in the administration. It's imperative for these people to know that neither the finance nor the intelligence can ever really save them always and that it is only their morals. If the intelligence folks think that they can beat up the opposition, they are inviting trouble in future though they might not be aware of the danger now. Tomorrow, they may be booked and sent to prison just like the financial corruption charges were pressed on the opposition now accusing them of abuse of power. Some of you might curse me as well for saying this but I have to warn you for your own good. You might think that your group is the darling of the masses but there are also those in the opposition who want to do good too. And oneday, Russian citizens will want to give them a chance too, not because they find you wanting but because of equality and justice. Face this reality now itself and if you are doing anything illegitimate, become legitimate in everything. Don't let them come after you like a pack of hyenas on an aging lion and his pride. From a friend.

A further note: It's not really possible to do power-sharing with everyone who want to do good to Russia and are in the opposition. A father is entitled to the affection of the wife but so is the son equally entitled, in a different manner ofcourse. The son wouldn't want his mother to love him just because he is a copy of his father. So even if you are going to offer them a big chunk of powers, they will want to implant their mark and not yours. Nothing in this world can be possessed, including a country, however great your love for the country is.