54. "My Philosophy is Correct" - Deciphering the Parody of Faith

<< Previous - Longing - The Only Responsibility of a Jijnasu

To get some conviction to explore the innate hunch that I am something more than the body and the mind is in itself a great challenge. But once we get to that point somehow, there is a greater challenge on the cards - to face the distraction caused by the massive market of ideologies that compels one to go into the shopping mode. Which one to select? Which one is correct? The Indian philosophies (Darshanas) in this market basically vary in their opinion about Jiva (me), Jagat (world), Ishwara (God), and the relationship among them (the same is true across religious systems). Some say all are one reality, some say they are independent realities etc. This multitude of perspectives on reality isn't a cause for concern by itself; the concern here is the intense belief we carry that we must decide which philosophy is true before embarking on our personal spiritual journey. We believe that our journey will otherwise be misguided. Here I question this very belief and present a case to show why such a step - that of deciding on the correct philosophical conclusion - is unnecessary, ridiculous and indeed, compulsorily dispensable for a true seeker.

The belief can be deciphered as follows. Having realized the incompleteness and the discontent inherent in the physical and the mental, the spiritual process for an individual begins with an intense conviction - shraddha - that there is a culmination to our journey, a reality beyond the body and the mind; in the language of Upanishads - "That by knowing which everything is known". This core conviction is natural, and is triggered out of the saturation with the worldly affairs. The mind is not the source of this conviction, and it just gets expressed through the mind. It is not a mental process of belief. But more often than not, this conviction is made into a mental process by extending into the details of this presently-not-perceived reality, such as "I am the ultimate reality", "My soul is different from the super-soul", "Vishnu/Shiva is the ultimate reality" etc. And this is where the problem lies.

This extended conviction occurs because once it is accepted that there is something greater which is yet to be known, very few are potent enough to carry in them the intense emptiness of "I do not know anything about it" and wholeheartedly boil in the pain of ignorance about the nature of that reality. Most are highly impotent (incapable to acknowledge for long that "I do not know"), and very quickly they will yield to some beliefs; something like "I do not know.... but I think it is like this [mostly because someone else told like that]", after which they start feeling good by concealing their ignorance from themselves, and thereby fooling themselves that they know something about reality. Seeking ends and believing begins. Longing for a solution gives way to finding solace from stories. After this it is only about strengthening the beliefs, finding more people/scriptures who will endorse our belief, becoming aggressive towards other schools etc. The seeker is lost, and a fanatic is born. And then we always speak so assertively about the nature of reality, exactly as if we really know it. "Atman", "Brahman", and the relation between the two are then somehow more familiar to me than my relation with my spouse.

Of course, there are some arguments for why we become so. Some may say that only if we believe in the reality in its actual details (i.e. only if we have the extended conviction) we can get to it; so we must believe in a particular philosophical conclusion. That is, the belief about the nature of reality is being considered as the necessary part of the effort to perceive (to know firsthand) reality. But this is a fallacy; because it amounts to saying that the nature of the reality is within the reach of the mind (which belief is a part of) which all the systems have unanimously rejected. Effort to perceive can have nothing to do with the psychological aspect of belief.

Reality, however it is, is there to be seen by anyone who has enabled his perception of it, and this perception cannot be mental; and if we do the right things to go beyond the mind, we will perceive reality. Therefore, only the process of enabling this perception is relevant for us, not believing the stories about the reality we get to hear from others (regardless of whether they are true or not). For instance, it is not that the sun exists only for those who believe the sun to be round, and invisible for those who do not believe it to be round. The sun is visible in whatever form it exists for anyone who has opened his eyes; and for someone with closed eyes the sun doesn't exist irrespective of what shape they believe the sun to be of. Therefore, any belief about the shape and nature of the sun is simply irrelevant; only the effort to perceive the sun is imperative (arising from the core conviction that there is a sun to be seen).

Furthermore, the extended conviction about reality is not only irrelevant, it is also a hindrance. While the core conviction enables the longing to know reality and go beyond the mind, the extended conviction - no matter how logical - blocks it with stories at the mental level itself. The core conviction enlivens the seeking spirit, and the extended conviction kills it. "Too much of anything is bad", even conviction. The core conviction should intensify, but not extend. Thereby the process of enabling our perception - doing the right things to go beyond the mind - right away excludes possessing (or rather being possessed by) beliefs about the reality. What we need is only the core conviction, and the intense longing and the pain of ignorance arising out of it. Awareness of "I don't know" is akin to vacuum. As it intensifies, reality is automatically revealed. When we step aside, it steps in.

Apart from this essential point, there are several other supplementary reasons against the extended conviction:

• A believer of a particular philosophical school, no matter how learned he is, very often becomes hostile to other schools, while 'hostility' would ironically be listed as a "don't" in his own system. Thus extended beliefs lead to endarkenment, not enlightenment. This, actually, is the seed of terrorism if you look at it keenly - "My belief is correct, yours is wrong". It is indeed ridiculous if two blind people went about debating about how sun is, instead of putting some efforts to get their sight.
• A believer begins to extract his primary joy from the number of people that endorse his belief, rather than from his own practice. This is then no more a spiritual process, but only a juvenile and social process of mutual validation - "I am wearing blue, you are also wearing blue, yeaaaah!"
• If we keenly observe, the fundamental prescription behind the teachings of all the schools for "enabling our perception" is the same: to make the mind non-sticky (less compulsive and more conscious) so that we are freed of it. It is only that the techniques to achieve that may greatly vary - from breathing techniques and food regulation to charity and service. If this is so, what does it matter which school I am following? The purpose is only to outgrow the mind. It would be ironical to get stuck at the mental level with an extended belief about the nature of reality - "Me and God are one; Me and God are different; etc.".
• The beliefs are basically someone else's statements (conclusions) which we have not yet realized. If we utter them as if they are our statements, it amounts to fraud. It is like copying the final mathematical equations from a friend without us deriving them. We should therefore focus on the path - the process of enabling our perception - rather than the conclusions.

The problem being discussed here is an ancient one, and was precisely the reason why Gautama Buddha taught the way he taught. His teachings were founded on the four noble truths, which I put forth as follows:

"Are you at complete ease with existence? Are you blissful?" - No

"Do you think there is a reason behind this lack of ease?" - Yes

"The cause behind your suffering can be nullified"

"I know how to nullify it, and I can tell you step by step"

That is all - methods to solve our fundamental friction with existence and to fuel the longing for something more; and no metaphysical speculations about the universe and God. Because he saw that they are only traps for a seeker. Logic and contemplation should only be used to confront the dead-end of logic firsthand. This way, logic should be used to gradually outgrow logic, not to believe in a logical metaphysical conclusion and get stranded with the mind.

Ramana Maharshi elegantly summarized the matter as follows: Whether dualism or non-dualism, an individual accepts that jiva (himself) exists. So, resolve yourself first. There is plenty of time after that to decide whether to merge with Brahman, or stay separate!

52. दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः

<< Previous - Recognizing the Feminine

So said Patanjali in his Yoga sutras (2.15). "For the one with wisdom, everything shall be [realized to be] misery" (duḥkhamēva sarvaṁ vivēkinaḥ). The first Noble Truth of Buddha is "The existence of suffering". Saankhya philosophy begins by elaborating on the suffering of life. The first couple of chapters of the great Yoga text Yoga Vāsiṣṭha elucidate how Rama finds every pleasure of life inherently filled with misery.

This is not pessimism. This is realism.

We have become insensitive to our own dirt. And therefore everything appears clean. And we therefore proclaim "Ah, life is so beautiful". We have mostly confused 'external circumstances' to be our life itself. And since the ambiance of life is experienced as favorable at certain times, such hasty statements are blurt out.

This is really the great disease in spirituality. Uttering the final conclusion without really going through the process systematically. Buddha can say that life is beautiful, not us. He can say that because as Siddhartha he acknowledged the misery in his fundamental experience of life; he saw how weak and ineligible his mind was to do even a simple activity; he realized how everything around him disturbed his mind. And thus the intense desire arose to overcome misery permanently. Only then could the world have a Buddha. Not just by spreading out the hands open in a beach and uttering in a filmy style "Life is beautiful" This beauty is going to vaporize in a few minutes when we don't get a cup of good coffee at the beach stalls :-D

We have to become deeply sensitive... to our mind. We will then see tons of dust hidden within, which is only waiting to come out. We will then see that a small disturbance outside is disturbing our mind. Even a simple task is not done with complete ease. Some friction is felt at all times. "I am not at complete ease with existence" is acknowledgement of misery. We should realize that mind itself has become our greatest misery. Good or bad - all thoughts should be acknowledged as disturbance. "For no thought is contented" (Shakespeare, King Richard 11) This should be realized so intensely that going through life in this state should become suffocating, even if the ambiance of life is favorable.

Only then is a Jijnasu born. One who cannot go on with life with just some recreation and procreation. One who wants a permanent solution. One who wants to be perfectly eligible to live. One who wishes to be at absolute ease with everything around him. Only then will he attempt to seek something more. And the more intense his seeking, nearer is the solution (rather dissolution) - तीव्र संवेगानाम् आसन्नः (tīvra saṁvēgānāṁ āsannaḥ) (Yoga Sutra - 1.21)

When life becomes suffocating due to recognition of misery, it is not a helpless situation leading to depression and suicide. The same scriptures which ask us to recognize misery, also give a solution. After uttering about suffering, Buddha's authoritatively said in his third and fourth Noble truths - "Suffering can end. And my dear, I know how to end it. If you come to me I shall show you the path" The more you recognize the misery, the more will you understand and eagerly adopt the solution. Else the solution will not be given its due value. Yoga will then only remain as a hobby or health booster. Therefore the emphasis to recognize misery in everything. It is a prerequisite for real Yoga.

Only a person really sleeping can be woken up. Someone who is pretending to be asleep can never be woken up.

Only when there is genuine acknowledgement of ignorance (vacuum), can there be flowing in of true knowledge (light). When there is a pretence of knowledge, real knowledge can never dawn.

Only a person really aware of the misery can be given a solution. Someone who is assuming to be happy with life can never be given any solution. For he is not even seeking anything more.

Let us not forget that, Krishna, the enlightened one, did not utter a word of spiritual teaching to his closest pal Arjuna (for around 40 years!), until the latter genuinely felt the pinch of misery at the battlefield (although he had already undergone so much misery by then) and collapsed at the former's feet asking for a solution. And Dhritarashtra who heard the same Gita through Sanjaya exclaimed at the end - "After all, Krishna provoked Arjuna to fight!". Evidently he had not acknowledged his ignorance even a bit.

May the acknowledgement of misery, and the pain of ignorance thrive in us and bring tears of genuine frustration! The ocean of sweet water is then ours to seek and own.

38. Answering to the Attitude

<< Previous - Complete v/s Finish

Seeker 1: Shouldn't we keep the body fit for proper spiritual progress? Aren't Hatha Yoga practices essential in spiritual quest?

Master: If you start taking care of the body, there is no end to it. Holding on to the body and trying to cross the ocean of Maya is like sitting on a crocodile and trying to cross the river.

Another situation:

Seeker 2: Are things like Hatha Yoga really necessary? I think Yoga is to be practiced only in the mind, and has nothing to do with the body.

Master: Yes, but keeping the body fit helps in reaching a calm state of mind. That is why Hatha Yoga practices are required for a practitioner in the beginning.

Now is this master just playing with the seekers? If the seeker says Yes, master says No, if seeker says No, master says Yes. This is just a small example with 'Hatha Yoga'. You may see many such Q&A in several books. Let us analyze what this is about.

Very few seekers really want to 'know' something from a master. Most of the seekers only want an answer as per their liking. They already think they know the right thing and only wish to get an acknowledgement to their opinion from a genuine spiritual master. Their question displays their attitude. So, the answers of the spiritual masters are not to the questions, they are to the attitude of the questioner.

Seeker 1 in the above example probably has too much attachment to 'health' and enjoying the pleasures of a healthy body. Many quote "Shareeramaadyam khalu Dharma saadhanam" of Kalidasa like a great ideal they stand for, but their ideal stops with "Shareeramaadyam" and the "Dharma Saadhanam" never happens. Same is the case with many spiritual seekers; their quest somehow takes a long halt in bodily health management and never moves forward. When asked about it they say "Maintaining one's health is necessary for spiritual practice". But the fact is that worshipping the body has itself become their spiritual practice! The path has itself become the goal. Spirituality has become a royal excuse for adoring the body. We can notice the same notion in statements like "Renouncing everything and going is escapism, we have to stay in the world and practice spirituality". This mostly has only become an excuse for staying in the world. The first part "we have to stay in the world" is fully followed but the latter part "and practice spirituality" goes to dogs. Stay in the world, fine, but why give a justification for it with spirituality?! These justifications come unasked only because the Self will be pricking from within that nothing is being done. By making such statements, the mind wants to believe that it is genuinely progressing in spirituality amidst all the indulgence it is into. Also, this person who is saying "Renunciation is escapism" will be usually a person who cannot even give up his beloved chappals.

So, for people like Seeker 1, who ask questions with the hope of getting a "Yes, keeping the body fit is necessary", so that they can happily continue pleasing their precious body, masters usually give a prick with an opposite answer. Because such people ask questions in such a way that they already know that what they are doing is right, and they just want a "Yes/No" vote from different masters, hoping for a "Yes" from most of them.

Seeker 2 is in the other extreme. He is perhaps a beginner like most of us and after reading or listening to many spiritual preaches has become over-enthusiastic. He is talking as if he has already lost his body-consciousness. This is nothing more than an empty show-off out of over-excitement. He is also, perhaps lazy to follow techniques of Yoga which lead to mind control and wants to believe that everything can be done sitting idle. He is not much different from seeker 1, in that, he already thinks he knows the answer and is just expecting an agreeable nod from the master. And he rightly gets a prick too.

If the seekers' attitude behind the above two questions were not biased, then the master's answers would have been interchanged - the second answer would have been given for the first question and the first answer would have been given for the second question. Only a true Guru can see this attitude behind the questions and will know what is to be answered, and therefore the need of a Guru. The seekers, including us, are always after finding an answer that suits our opinion. Our mind works so intelligently to ask questions in such a way that we would get a "Yes" to what we are already doing. We will have attachments to some paths and techniques of spirituality and want to hear that it is the ultimate practice. The paths or techniques are usually not bad on their own, but our obsession towards them makes us stagnate. Just like how a Hatha Yogi's entire attention may get diverted to the well being of the body. A real spiritual master pulls us away from such obsessions and tries to guide us into a middle path - neither belittle the techniques nor get obsessed with them, but practice them as a stepping stone; neither punish or ignore the body like a great spiritual hero straightaway nor stop with the health of the body alone, but keep the body fit with minimum needs and proceed further to tackle the mind; living in a city or in a forest is not the factor, but only the mental efforts to get detached no matter where you are.

I am still getting amazed as to how crucial Buddha's message of middle path was. It has come several times in different ways within this blog itself. It keeps going deeper the more we explore it. Mind seems to somehow stick to extremes in most of the cases, some of them being very subtle, like the one being covered in this post.

Another conclusion of this short post is that the conversations with spiritual masters has to be read keeping the full context in mind. Focusing on their answers alone may give a wrong message to our mind. Because their answers are not just to the questions, but mainly to the attitude of the questioners. If the answers are viewed independently they will lose their original meaning and may even be detrimental. For e.g. "Yes, see, this master said that Hatha Yoga is not necessary. That is why I stopped Pranayama practice"!! This is a misguided practitioner noting only those sentences that suits his opinion without seeing the full context of that sentence, and also ignoring other conversations with the same master that empasize the importance of Pranayama.

26. Part 4 - The Final Chapter

<< Previous - Part 3 - The Descent

As we saw in Part 1 and 2, the Saraswati civilization was built on only two factors – science and service. Their science, which was mostly common sense, and the injunctions on performing charity held the society in the clutches of positivity. They did not require a ‘God’ to feel confident and secure. Idol worship was unheard of in the Vedic periods. When we know that we are right in our activities, automatically confidence boosts up. When the whole society was living as one big family based on responsibilities of Swadharma, there was only positivity and confidence everywhere. And then a few of them moved into deeper questions and realized the ultimate truth of creation. They taught the systematic ways of realizing that truth to the rest of the society. The ultimate truth was called by various terms such as ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’ etc. The results of their Self-Enquiry were recorded as Upanishads and preserved.

When the Varna system got adulterated as explained in the earlier posts, there was no proper administration on Swadharma. The very foundation of the system shook, and as a consequence the conducive environment for spiritual enquiry was lost. Self-Realization became rarer and rarer and one day became almost unheard of. Brahmanas became Brahmanas just to idly sit and receive charity. Brahmanas now became mere data recorders who could promptly reproduce what was already written down by the earlier generations. They mugged up the entire research database (Vedas) instead of doing the research on their own. They forgot that experiences were to be experienced and not for theoretical learning. They denied to accept that they do not have experiences of their own. Because they were now addicted to the respect of the society. They were not ready to lose their status and dignity by letting others know that they are not Self-Realized. But there was a problem. Anybody could easily mug up the Vedas and other Shastras and become equal to them. So, all other Varnas were denied access to the knowledge database. Only Brahmana families mugged up all the shastras and showcased their memory power, Samskrita scholarliness in front of the society. Shastra knowledge itself became the ultimate knowledge. Brahmanas accumulated money and became owners of even entire villages. A Varna, that was meant to preserve knowledge, now went after Power and Wealth, but still called themselves as Brahmanas. How funny it would be if a soldier became a cook and still called himself a soldier? He would only be an uncooked soldier!

But as we saw in ‘Hide and Seek’, won’t we know when we are doing something rubbish? Didn’t the dummy Brahmanas know that they were empty inside? They knew, very well than any others. And that grew as a guilt within them. They had read all the Upanishads and had learnt the word ‘Brahman’. They themselves had not realized it, so they had no idea what this ‘Brahman’ is. They only knew that realized people had called it as Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient etc. So, now these guilty Brahmanas were in a fix. They knew that they were erring, and as a consequence they were now afraid of this ‘mighty’ Brahman. When we do mistakes it is our own Self that pricks us more than anything else. And when we do not listen to our Self, it turns into fear of an unknown entity called God. So, they were now scared of this all-powerful entity called Brahman. The concept of a ‘Punishing God’ sprouted, and this was the seed of negativity that spread throughout the entire society in no time.

Brahmanas, afraid about their own punishment by an unknown God, spread the same cock and bull story to everybody. Brahmanas, who were supposed to spread positivity and confidence in the society, now spread negativity – “If you do not perform this Yajna, God will punish you”, “If a shudra reads Veda, God will make him suffer for 7 lives” etc became the slogans. During the degradation of the society, and the deadly wars that took place, the Vedic science was also lost and had become empty rituals. No one knew what the exact mechanism and purpose of the Yajnas was. Brahmanas, who were supposed to know that, only knew the procedure and the mugged up mantras. And if someone asked them ‘Why should I perform this Yajna?’ the readymade answer was ‘To please God. Else, God will punish you’!! How could a learned Brahmana say ‘I do not know’ in front of the society? J

Now, this person ‘God’ was very mysterious and no one knew exactly what it was. They only knew to be afraid of him. Everybody gave their own chosen name an form to it. They began installing idols and worshipping. Worship rituals, which were not available till then, were written down and made as Shastras. All began acting like puppies and made God a big and powerful Dog! All their activities were out of fear of this dog and to please this dog. Negativity spread like a wild fire throughout the civilization. All slowly forgot that ‘Brahman’ was a state that had to be realized, and made it a distant and absurd concept.

Then came the Buddha. He searched for answers and found the ultimate truth that was long forgotten. He realized that same truth which ancient Vedic people had realized. His message of Nirvana, and his teachings to attain that state spread far and wide across the Indian subcontinent and even beyond. By seeing the slavery of the people to the concept of ‘God’ he did not answer to any questions related to God. He only encouraged people to reach that state of Nirvana by constant efforts. He openly proclaimed that ‘Buddha’ is only a state that can be attained by anybody. He was only promoting the truth of the Upanishads, the truth of ‘Brahman’ with different terminology – ‘Niravana’, ‘Buddha’. But ironically the Vaidika Brahmanas called him an atheist! And thus, his teachings, although the repetitions of the Upanishads in a different way, were made as a different religion altogether.

Buddhism flared up Jnana Marga and common sense once again in the country. But since it was dependent on one person – Gautama Buddha, after his demise, dilution occurred again. Slowly again people slipped into negative habits of fear. Even the followers of Buddhism began keeping Buddha’s idol and worshipping it! Adi Shankaracharya also revived the path of Jnana and resurrected the falling wisdom of the country. But Jnana Marga could not reach the same heights as in the Vedic periods. Because it could not reach the common masses very efficiently.

After several hundred years, came a genius solution to this swamp of negativity – Bhakti, Devotion. A big wave of devotion swept across the country. It is not that devotion was not heard of before. It was always there, even in the time of Vedic era, but not prominent. Jnana marga was the mostly sought after path. And later Bhakti was struggling to show up amidst fear. But now it became the most popular trend. Genuine devotees used idol worship itself to promote positivity instead of fear. They promoted love and devotion towards God and proved that even complete surrender will lead to the same goal as Self-enquiry of Jnana marga. Every village, every town in India was blessed with a realized devotee who popularized songs of devotion (Bhajans) which reached every common man of the country. All the knowledge database of the Samskrita shastras were now available as simple songs in local languages. Bhakti Marga poured soothing rains of devotion on the dry lands of money and power.

And thus, now in the 21^st century we are blessed with the best of both – Jnana and Bhakti. For some reason, Lakshmi is still dominant, but that is fine. Truth still triumphs. We have the teachings of both self-enquiry and self-surrender available at our doorstep. It is only that we are not making an effort to open the envelop and read the letters. How long will we postpone? It has to be realized one day or the other. Self-Realization is an inevitability. It cannot be escaped!

There are some news that Government of India is planning a mega-project to bring the river Saraswati back to its past glory. Perhaps it will also be the revival of the Jnana that dried up with that river? J

- इति स्वयंवाचित सरस्वती पुराण समाप्ता -

- Self-told Saraswati Purara Ends -

Phala Shruti (What you will get if you read this Purana): Whoever reads this Saraswati Purana everyday will be blessed with wealth, power and success!

Oh Sorry, the entire story is about knowledge and finally Phala shruti says "Wealth, power"! But this is how almost all Phala shrutis are written. Now you decide what gave rise to these Phala shrutis - Fear or Devotion? Greed or Love? J

The moral of this long story – The story taught me two things. Firstly, this is the story of Self-Realization itself. So, it taught me that Self-Realization is not vague and absurd. It is as true as my existence. If I exist, my realization also exists. The story put all the misunderstood concepts out in the open – the concept of religion, God, rituals etc. It also analyzed why and how fear sprouted, and why the dark ages of blind belief set in. The story made me feel free, free of all the clutches of negativity. Knowing negativity thoroughly is itself the dissolution of negativity.

Secondly, the story showed that we should not bother about the rise and fall. That keeps happening. Even with spirituality. ‘Cycle’ is the nature of nature. Nobody is the savior of anything. It is all only a drama, a dream. All the story of history is only your dream! You listen to some history in your dream, but is that real? Did all that happen? Or is it that you create it and listen to it? You are the only reality, not as the body, but as awareness. Everything in the dream keeps changing. But truth never dies, dreamer never dies. Death can die, but consciousness can never die! Dreamer always exists, and hence the question ‘Who Am I’ is inescapable, and hence the answer is also inescapable.

Wikipedia link to Saraswati River

3. The Extrication of Extremes

<< Previous - The Miraculous Mistake

As I somehow surpassed the miraculous mistake and the negativity it caused, I faced another problem. I straightaway went to the other extreme. I started thinking too lightly about Self-Realization and too highly of myself. I started talking like a philosopher - “Everything is Brahman, It is all one”, without even having the faintest idea of what it meant. I thought that talking like this, imitating spiritual masters is itself the ‘Sadhana’ – spiritual practice.

When I learnt bowling in cricket, perhaps when I was 11 years, I remember the haughtiness it created in me. Everyday I was bombarding the back wall of my house with my bowling (of course, with tennis ball) for hours. I began imagining myself in the Indian cricket team because I thought my bowling was furiously fast. All the elder children in the neighborhood were playing cricket next to my house almost daily. I wasn’t included in the play as I was too young and a mismatch in their amidst. But then one day I thought it is time for me to show my greatness to all these ignorant people. That day I challenged my brother (who is elder to me by several years) that if they allowed me to play with them, I would get him Out within minutes. They laughed and put me in. After a while I got my chance to bowl. I thought before he would wink his eyelids, my bowling, which was supposed to be furiously fast, would have uprooted the wickets. I bowled and bowled and bowled. My brother hit and hit and hit. All were laughing and I was perplexed. I didn’t know what was going wrong. How can he be hitting my bowling so easily which is lightning fast?

Similarly, my self-proclaimed spiritual wisdom, which was a result of overconfidence and taking Self-Realization very lightly, was shattered whenever situations were against me. My fake wisdom would be available only if everything outside was going fine. I could bowl only to a dead wall. A batsman came and easily thrashed my bowling. One small difficulty comes and I am blown away to fours and sixers. I was into easy-chair-philosophy with no practical implications.

When I woke up from this blunder as well, I saw that the root cause is again the same! Instead of focusing at the process, I was only focusing at the final product – being Buddha, being Ramakrishna, being Vivekananda etc. Last time I was dejected by looking at the extraordinary feats that they could perform. But now I have gone into over-confidence by imitating their simplicity and philosophy. So, I now understood that straightaway focusing at the final product, instead of the process and plan, can stagnate me in two ways – Either by giving a sense of difficulty, or by deluding me that it is so easily done. Then I noticed that both these extreme feelings trouble us in our lives with almost every aspiration. If we see a great vocalist singing brilliantly, one aspirant may get so astounded that he will say that it is impossible to sing like that and give up on the first day itself. And another aspirant may get overconfident by looking at the ease with which the vocalist sang, and boast that it is very easy and even he can do it. Only a few will accept to themselves “It is possible, but I have to practice regularly for a long time” and follow this practically. And these are the ones that will become great singers one day, not the former ones who took to extremes. Buddha’s simple but powerful message of following the middle path!

The mistake was simple and hence the solution too. I am seeing Buddha only after he became a Buddha. I am seeing Vivekananda only after he became Vivekananda. And I went into the delusion that by imitating them in their final form, I will become like them. I conveniently ignored all the struggle and effort that they had put in, even though they had explained those in detail. But No. I want everything easily done.

All the genuine masters have said repeatedly, “I am not special, even you can become like me, all can attain realization, you alone are responsible for your destiny, follow these steps…”. But every time we promptly ignored that part of their teachings. Even in spirituality we want crash courses and fast food. We want techniques which will give us Nirvana in a month if not a week.

Anyway, now that the daydream of overconfidence and delusion was also over, I started thinking ‘What next?’. I have now seen both the extremes leading to blunder. Now let me follow the middle path. Let me find out what could be my first baby step.

Next - The Big Boost >>