E024 Dr. Shirish Nathwani Reflects on Hindu Spirituality

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 24
Date: July 12, 2022

Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Dr. Shirish Nathwani

Start times and Segment Segments:

[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: John talks to Sammy about a continuum, with extreme dogmatism on one end and extreme skepticism on the other.

[0:11:49] Expanding Minds Interview: [Spiritual Wellness] We interview Dr. Shirish Nathwani in the area of Spiritual Wellness. He offers reflections on Hindu spirituality, including on reincarnation, purification of oneself, becoming childlike (not childish), mediation, liberation and more.

[0:26:12] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron’s Canada Day weekend was chock-full of performances.

[0:29:34] Move That Body: Sheila brings up a point from John’s book, Accidentally Well. The quick fix doesn’t work for him when it comes to losing weight or getting into better physical shape. He needs an approach that’s more manageable and sustainable over a long term.

[0:37:12] Running Popup: John explains his “to do” list approach to getting things done. He came up with an acronym: D.R.E.S.S. for Success.

[0:40:19] Flipside of the Coin: Popups come to us in different ways. John has his running popups. Sheila’s popups come to her after sleep.

Quotes and Take-Aways:

John – When I was younger I tended to be more on the skeptical side of the continuum [from extreme dogmatism to extreme skepticism] and, in retrospect, it wasn’t a great way to live my life. I would find it froze me in place at times when I had to make important decisions or choose on how to act. I might not move as quickly as I needed to. With the benefit of age and hopefully a bit of wisdom, I moved more towards the middle.

John – If there’s something I need to choose between. If there’s a reason I have to think about a theory or belief. I research. I talk to people about it. I come up with what I think is the best solution based on the information that’s available. I use critical thinking and say this is the most persuasive point of view to me. Then I act on it, because I don’t want to freeze I place. But I keep an open mind.

Shirish – As a human being, it is our birthright and a need to discover the true nature and purpose of our existence, just as it’s important to know the nature of the world that surrounds us. It’s only then that we can lead a meaningful life of peace and contentment.

Shirish – The ultimate reality that we call God, or by various names, is omnipresent and vibrant in every particle of our Cosmos. That’s a core of our beliefs.

Shirish – Every act you do, you show gratitude. That’s what I do.

Shirish – Earth, water, fire, air and space are the five elements out of which our body is made.

Shirish – I would say that those who don’t believe in God, they believe in themselves, and it’s the self, the capital self within that’s here to discover. This is where mediation comes in. This is where prayer comes in. All these activities are means of reaching that.

Shirish – One thing that has given me the greatest strength has been meditation, but what is lacking in my life I feel is that complete surrender – surrender to the divine. All the problems I find in life are connected to the body or mind. When I surrender to the divine, if I can manage to do that completely, then it becomes the problem of the divine and I become a pure witness, like the child I was telling you about – of pure mind.

Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Sheila: We got in our little dingy and had to go around and beg for gas.

Guest Information: Shirish Nathwani is a retired physician and surgeon living in the Waterloo region of Canada. A humanist, in essence, Shirish brings with him the perennial Hindu tradition of India. He is a director of a Canadian charity called Samarpan Meditation which is dedicated to offering a free and simple technique of meditation to all. He was nominated Ambassador to Canada for the Vienna-based Curators of the poetic revelations called Devayan (the third and the latest great Epic from India after Ramayan and Mahabharat). He sees himself as a dedicated medium in bringing lasting happiness to one and all.

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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-)   Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie

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