In my last post I talked about our ego and how it has led to misery and brutality in the world. The next question that would arise if we are sincere enough is, what has the world to do with me. Let me share a few insights that I have learnt.
The first question is,
What is society? Is it the "society", that we live in or is it that, "we form the society"? Society is the matrix of interrelationships among people. Among me and you, among people from various strata, among man and woman, rich and poor, hindu and muslim, among all those divisions that we have created.
It is an oft repeated concept , the concept of the absence of any diference between people, the concept of unity, "hum sab ek hain" you know. We can all hear the slogans, repeated by politicians, revolutionaries, school plays, the movies and yet we fail to actually realise it as a fact.
You know what it is to realise something to be a fact? Maybe when you think you are particularly good at something, say a game, say table tennis. You haven't been beaten before by anyone, you always know you actually are not that good You always feel you havent just met better players. But the fact is that you have not realized it yet. It happens the day you get badly beaten, beaten lock stock and barrel, your dumb ego comes crashing down and then there is true humity and "true realization". Before that it was just a false knowledge. Like an illusion you had created for yourself, the illusion that repeats over and over again, "I am humble" :)
Coming back to the concept of "unity" we need a similar moment of realization, that converts the concept into FACT, and until then it just remains what it is , "a concept" in your ego. It says, "I" believe in unity.
Its funny how it would also tell you, "I" think "I" should not have ego. "I' am humble. Can a rabbit not be a rabbit. If the rabbit tells itself I shall not be a rabbit, I shall be a lion, it would only go to the lions and be eaten up. :p
Similarly it is impossible for the ego to be "not ego". So acting out of ego you can never let go the ego !!
Where do we find an inspiration to lose it now, and what is the need for inspiration?
Let us look at the reasons for this "need for inspiration". It simple, have you ever listened to your favorite song? Have you ever looked at a beautiful scenery on the mountain tops?
Have you ever witnessed your "ego" in that state. Isnt it the most beautiful state where you lose yourself? It is the same state at the "moment of an orgasm" isnt it. You do not see any ego.
Have you ever been at an emergency situation,where you had to act immediately without thought! You might have had to do the weirdest thing to extricate yourself, you never felt ashamed I am sure, your ego was absent. So indeed it is possible to act out of ego. But when does the possible "happen".
It only happens when you see the urgency of it! When it is needed! and this is where I come back to our very first question "what is society?" And as I answered it is our interrelationships that make the society. We hate each other, we form groups and identities, we evolve group identities out of individual identities, we ARE the society. And when we see all the violence ,bloodshed, horrors which we conveniently sweep under the carpet everytime, hide ourself from, we shrink away from responsibility. We shrink away from acknowledging that which we have created, acknowledging "that which we are". We are not those who love, we are those who compete, we are those who like to see others fail and us succeed, you see you may say I want everyone to succeed, but alas the truth is that in the absence of another one's failure there is no success. And don't tell me chasing success aint bad, coz th real problem is with the definition of success, the kind of success that makes us nervous neurotic, fearful, unfree, anxious, miserable and a bundle of nervous energy ain't no success at all. Ever yearned for freedom???
So once we see our ego manifesting itself as horror in ourself and in the society, we automatically are alive to the very fact of our existence. Automatically should lose our ego.
Why do leaders arise under oppression, why does the ordinary become the extraordinary when faced with a grave hopeless situation. It is due to the very FACT that we ARE all extraordinary beings. We just remained disillusioned in ego and identities.
So my advice to myself and anyone else. Watch yourself! Observe the world. See its horror, DO NOT screen out. Observe and Acknowledge! Thats it.
11 comments:
observe and acknowledge... :)
lost for words da... am I building "YOU"(i mean your 'I')
Ennoda rendu paisa!! -
Evolution of society is driven by the most primary biological instincts. Groups are safer and more prone to take holistic decisions. To sustain this group certain personality traits, emotions, orientation(LOL) and differences should be trimmed. Eureka!You got a society!!
rendu kelvigal-
If all you do is acknowledge, what is the need to observe?
The 'Duh' question - If all beings are extraordinary, what is so 'extra' about it?
"If all you do is acknowledge, what is the need to observe?"
Well, without observing what is it that one will acknowledge :)
"Groups are safer and more prone to take holistic decisions"
Well can you point out any "modern day" groups that are safer and take holistic decisions?
We still aren't in the prehistoric times , are we :)
"If all beings are extraordinary, what is so 'extra' about it"
Good question . extraordinary is just a feel good word.
The true meaning of the statement is , "a person limits onself, and hence is unable to realise one's true potential.
Why does one limit oneself?
The past memories and acting out of memory. Memories of praise and insults.
Just to reply in as short a maner as possible Mr Anonymous :p
"If all you do is acknowledge, what is the need to observe?"
I guess you meant "isn't just acknowledging akin to doing nothing?"
I can give you two answers
1. Give it a try. Try to just see the enormity of something. Say try watching a war movie , observe and acknowledge true to your heart on what is happening. Do not control your thoughts or emotions. Do not make judgements or comparisons or any ideas of your own. Do plain observation and acknowledge the truth of what you see without making judgements. Give it a try.
2. I can explain to you in a logical manner why mere acknowledging helps.
Pure acceptance of truth brings forth action without any effort.If you do not agree , it doesn't matter. You can only get this by experience.
"Well can you point out any "modern day" groups that are safer and take holistic decisions?" - what about a group of IIM grads?? :P
When I was taking about group characteristics, I was making a comparitive statement my friend!
"I guess you meant "isn't just acknowledging akin to doing nothing?" " - Yes. And your first answer supports it and doesn't answer it. One question for your second answer- what action??
The point I am trying to make is there is no action involved in reception[pure acceptance] other than the act of receiving. Mere acceptance just proves to be a testament to the info[or truth as you call it] and nothing else. If your case is true - how is a human being different from a piece of paper[pure unbiased acceptance] on which truth is written?
PS: Its super fun writing anony comments!! :P
A group of IIM grads.. :) Trust me there is no such group :p .. I would only be a physical group not a related group that actually works together.
"How is a human being different from a peace of paper on which truth is written?" :)
The paper cannot absorb the truth while the human being can. Because he is that truth. He is greedy if he accepts he is greedy. He is suffering as a result of the greed if he accepts he is suffering. The moment he accepts action is spontaneous, without effort or need to think, the human just acts!
That is something you might find out if you try.
Still I would give you another answer that answers to the intellect using an example:
You are poor at some task "x". You never observed this. Even if you did you never accepted. hence you never acted to correct this. The day you accepted it deep in your heart, accepted it as a fact, you automatically acted. Without thought . Without intention. Without analysis. Spontaneous action.
But for the mind it is very difficult to accept that it is possible to act without thinking :) . What would you do if you see a tiger in front of you . Would you say "wait, let me think what to do?" or you would immediately look for the nearest escape route!
Your analogous references are HA HA HA!!
"What would you do if you see a tiger in front of you . Would you say "wait, let me think what to do?" or you would immediately look for the nearest escape route!"
- Dude, its driven by your instincts and adrenaline - body reacts even before the mind accepts. And even if you overcome intincts for a better suited reaction, its a combination of the very things you asked me not to do[control thoughts, make judgements, past memories of similar situations/incidents etc].
My analogous references are
a."He is greedy if he accepts he is greedy. He is suffering as a result of the greed if he accepts he is suffering. The moment he accepts action is spontaneous, without effort or need to think, the human just acts!"
b."You are poor at some task "x". You never observed this. Even if you did you never accepted. hence you never acted to correct this. The day you accepted it deep in your heart, accepted it as a fact, you automatically acted. Without thought . Without intention. Without analysis. Spontaneous action."
The reference about the tiger was to illustrate what I mean when i say "a spontaneous action".
So please explain why 'a' and 'b' are untenable as per you. I am willing to accept if you can claim it is frivolous "and if you can come on gchat makes it much easier"
regarding:
"Dude, its driven by your instincts and adrenaline - body reacts even before the mind accepts. And even if you overcome intincts for a better suited reaction, its a combination of the very things you asked me not to do[control thoughts, make judgements, past memories of similar situations/incidents etc]."
When does the body react?
answer:
When the you ask it to react.
Why do you not think?
answer: that is why it is called instinct. You do not see yourself thinking etc. you just act.
I never mentioned anything about overcoming instincts or overcoming anything for that matter. There is no "OVERCOMING" or "CONTROLLING THOUGHTS"
When you get rid of this "need to think", "need to become" you feel this awesome freedom where you stop "thinking" and start "acting".
How often have you thought. I want to do this. I want to be this. And how very often have you actually acted :) ???
And when you did act it was out of emergency, the strong urge to act. Its a pity the mind attributes the action to all the insignificant thinking it had done earlier.
PS: gchat is much easier to do this
Your references and inferences are open to varied perpectives.
For instance -
"Why do you not think?
answer: that is why it is called instinct."
Where do think this instinct comes from? It is the thoughts & actions done by forefathers that are ingrained into your genes by evolution. The thinking is already done and so it just happens in a flash! It doesn't necessarily mean that the element of thought is not there :)
"PS: gchat is much easier to do this" - hmmmm...I did ping you yest, tho it was unrelated to the blog!
Where do think this instinct comes from? It is the thoughts & actions done by forefathers that are ingrained into your genes by evolution. The thinking is already done and so it just happens in a flash! It doesn't necessarily mean that the element of thought is not there :)
i don't think so... basic survival instincts and adrenaline effects are very basic... even a big noise can make a child cry.. but not a grown up... IMHO survival instincts are present in born , not necessarily it got carried into genes from baboons or chimpanzees(i think they are our forefathers)
@sharvan -
When you are ready to accept the part played by evolution physically, why is it so hard to accept that evolution does have a hand in imparting the mental characteristics(instincts) too? An antelope leaps and runs away from seeing a tiger because it has evolved from a subset of a gene pool that did the same thing to escape. The rest of the gene pool just fails to survive or adapts to a different environment.
"even a big noise can make a child cry.. but not a grown up." - Just like most other things evolution can also be measured across varying timeframes. In this case it is the life time of the child during which he/she has evolved & adapted enough to understand that a loud noise doesn't always signify danger.
"IMHO survival instincts are present in born , not necessarily it got carried into genes from baboons or chimpanzees" - I think they are carried that way. It just that they get more refined and adaptive over the ages.. :)
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