Perception and Perspective

Perception and Perspective


1) I watched this on TV some years back : 2 mothers met and started talking (or rather, gossiping).

Mother A : Hello! Congratulations! I heard your son got married. How's the daughter-in-law?


Mother B (looking dejected) : Oh ... thanks. She's terrible! She's a lazy, good-for-nothing bum who does nothing but eats and sleeps the whole day. Can you imagine? My son even have to serve her breakfast in bed!


Mother A : Really?! That's terrible!


Mother B : Yah ... tell me about it. Hey! I heard your daughter recently got married, too. How's the son-in-law?


Mother A : Oh, he's such a good boy! He's so wonderful. My daughter doesn't need to do anything except eat and sleep the whole day. He even serves her breakfast in bed!


Mother B : Really?! She's so lucky!




2) Think back of a time when you were very happy, enjoying yourself and having fun.


Now, think of a time when you're sad, miserable, and maybe even heartbroken.

Notice when you're happy and enjoying yourself and having fun, time seems to pass so fast?


And notice when you're unhappy, feeling sad and miserable, time seems to drag its feet?


Why is that so?


Did time change its speed?

Or does it lie with you?



3) Why is it that people say a child who lived a life of 10 years is short, while a couple who's married for 10 years, long?

It's the same duration of 10 years, is it not?

So why is one considered long, while the other short?



4) Why is it that to a child, $1 can get you sweets, But to an adult, $1 can't get you anything?


5) Why are hospitals a place of death, but not the kitchens?

Animals lose their lives in the kitchens, don't they?


6) Why is it that the best Chinese/Mandarin must be from China, and a Yoga guru/teacher/instructor must be Indian, or from India?

I remembered about 2-3 years ago, a student, now a friend, revealed to me that when he first joined the Yoga class 4 years ago, he expected to see an old Indian instructor from India.

So, when he saw that the instructor is 'a young Chinese girl' (as he puts it) instead, he was shocked.

He wasn't expecting a young girl, much less a Chinese.

And he told me that at that time, he wondered how much this 'young Chinese girl' would know about Yoga.

Why do we think/perceive that only Indians know about Yoga?

And why must the instructor be old?



7) I suppose the best example would be my classes.

Those who had attended before would know what I'm talking about.

To me, my classes are simple, easy, gentle, and manageable.

Basic even.

But those who attend the class tend to find it otherwise.

I guess one of my students say it best when she told me,

"It's relative."







"Those who grasp at perceptions and views go about butting their heads in the world."

- The Buddha






"What's right?

What's wrong?

What's right, what's wrong lies in the minds;

All of your minds."






"Perception = Conditioning.

Whatever perspective (view) we have or take is due to our perception.

Which in turn is due to our conditioning.

Whatever perspective (view) we have towards people, things etc is conditioning from past experiences, memories etc."






"Whatever the mind perceives, the mind conceives,

the mind believes, and the mind achieves.

That's why the mind is the fore runner, the chief."