5. The Story of Mastery

<< Previous - The Big Boost

Before I took the big boost, I had a small hitch with the concept of mastery and slavery, which I would not like to forget. Because without resolving that I would not have gone forward.

I could not accept when spiritual texts said “We have become slaves of sense pleasures”. I didn’t find anything logical with this. After all, I am earning and I am spending. I eat, drink, enjoy because I like to do that and I have enough money to do that. I do that out of free will. I am completely free. Who says I am bound by the senses? I am active the whole day, either in working to earn money, or in purchasing sense pleasures with that money. And I would say, I am active out of my freewill. What is the use of sitting idle? I don’t want to be lazy. I am active completely out of my free choice. Looks sensible? Yes, it did seem perfectly right to me. But, not for long.

Suppose a programmer has created a software application which has several modules. He likes some of the modules more as they have challenging design. So, he creates very detailed documentation regarding the functioning of these complicated modules and neglects the details of the simple modules. Also, when the time for testing comes, he thoroughly tests the complicated modules that he likes more. In other simpler modules he leaves some of the functionality untested. And this is the explanation the programmer gives: “I am not testing some parts of the application out of my free will. It is a waste of time to test them. They are so simple and straightforward and don't even require documentation. I know that those simple modules will run just fine whenever the requirement comes.” Well, I would slightly bother about the future of this young programmer. Because when the time comes, the untested modules, although simple, will fail with plenty of bugs. And by that time the programmer would vaguely remember about this old project of his. And to make things worse, there is no documentation available with him about these modules because he simply didn't write any. Now, something that was ignored because of its simplicity, becomes a very hard nut to crack.

We always function with the ‘activity’ module and ‘inactivity’ module is totally ignored. And we say that we are active out of free will, we enjoy sense pleasures out of free choice etc. But is it true? Have we tested ourselves fully? Or have we done something similar to the programmer above? We say we do not sit quietly because we ‘don’t want to sit quietly’. But the hard truth is that we ‘can’t sit quietly’. There is a world of a difference between the two. Even as we go to bed, when we are supposed to be calm and quiet, mind is going around the world - office, restaurant, theatre and everywhere else. Even after retirement, when we can peacefully relax or contemplate, we cannot sit quiet for a day. Let us face it. We are addicted. We are active out of obligation, not choice. The untamed mind-horse is jumping without control, and we, sitting on it, are yelling "Situation is under control". We want to portray as if we are controlling the horse and are willingly making the horse jump up and down. But the fact is that it is the horse that is tossing us. We always focus only on the 'activity' module, and so, when the genuine requirement comes, the ‘inactivity’ modules fail miserably, because it was untested and taken for granted. We only focused on switching on, but never learnt to switch off, because we always thought that is very easy and can be done whenever we need it. Again, something that was ignored because of its simplicity, becomes a very hard nut to crack. Finally others have to teach us how to calm down and relax. This precisely why "Stress Management" and "Relaxation Techniques" are in great demand today! The two most basic instincts of a living being - sleep and food - are being taught in classes! What a pathetic situation we are in! Even animals do not need diet or relaxation classes!

Similarly there may be some of us who are addicted to the other extreme - laziness. And we will have all the arguments as above – but with ‘activity’ and ‘inactivity’ interchanged. Justifying laziness in the name of free will! Extremes seem to be always bad, and the middle path is always good. I can’t help but getting surprised again and again at this simple message of Buddha. We always look at only two aspects – activity or inactivity – and we brand the former as ‘good’ and latter as ‘bad’. Well, if anything is illogical, it is this notion. Bad, in the real sense is extreme inclination due to obligation to either of them. And good, in the real sense is moderation of both of them due to mastery over them – a nice balance. Obligated inactivity is Tamas, Obligated activity is Rajas. Currently world believes in only these two and the latter is termed as the only ‘good’ thing on earth. Active? Oh, Ambitious person. Inactive? Ah, Lazy chap. And in the process, the precious freedom which is lost is not noticed. Scriptures clearly indicated a third possibility – Sattva – moderation. And to be able to moderate, you have to have command over the senses. This alone, in the real sense, is freedom and mastery. Not helplessly running behind sense objects.

Meditation is not laziness, it is intense activity. What is easier? Getting tossed up and down on the powerful and untamed horse, or keeping this powerful horse tamed and under your command? Meditation is inactivity out of choice, not out of obligation as in Tamas (laziness). If we learn to be inactive out of choice, if we learn to calm our mind at our will, then we will soon see that automatically our activities also take place out of our free choice. Obligation is shackles and Freedom is power, a power like no other. The obligations are never external, but only internal. An emperor of the world may have everyone at his feet and no obligation to anybody, but may be miserably being commanded by his own mind. External obligation looks like an obligation only because of the eventual internal obligation. “My mind is obeying me and performing activities as I order” is an incomparable feeling. We will immediately feel a tremendous current of energy flowing in us. This sense of freedom and power makes the work highly efficient. A Rajasik person cannot compete with a Sattvik person. Because a Rajasik person is active with the shackles of addiction to work. Rajasik person cannot relax even after the activity, let alone amidst activity. He is restless all the time. He is bound to get fatigued soon. Whereas Sattvik person is active out of free will. He can forget work and stay calm and quiet the next moment if required. Why next moment, he will begin to see that even as he performs work, he is relaxed, a sense of calmness is pervading him from the inside. In Sattva, you are your own master. Mind is only a tool. You are not bound by it.

So, I understood that addiction to work will not make me efficient – this is a mistaken notion. In fact, it will only deteriorate me over time. Only detached and free action can be efficient. The greatest message of the Bhagavadgita. The very first step towards this goal is to throw away the mask "What is the use of sitting idle? Let me be of some use to others" and accept that I am working for my sake alone. It is to stop pretending that I am the savior of some people or I am the manager of the world. It is to acknowledge the fact that I am working only because I apparently feel happy doing it. Helping others, serving others is just happening as a side effect. Action is not bad by itself, being active after retirement is not bad by itself. What is bad is the mask we wear saying we work for others' sake, and hiding our slavery and addiction to action. Once this mask is forsaken, then we do not have to do Karma Yoga. Whatever we do with this knowledge within, that all we do is only for the self, is automatically Karma Yoga. You will no more count how many got benefited by your action, or wait for an appreciation by others. Because you know very well that you are working for your own sake, and there is nothing great in it. As a consequence this will eventually reduce our addiction to activity, bring about mastery over both activity and inactivity, and elevate us towards Sattva.

Next - The Strong Weakness