People tend
to adopt satisfying conclusions and stay with them rather than have a free mind
to explore the journey of life. The wall
they thus build around them ends up as their psychological prison. Open minded investigation becomes impossible.
Life on this
planet offers many opportunities, outwardly and inwardly. Most human beings,
however, are lost in the externalization of the mind and remain unaware of
their inner realms. While religious practices take us somewhat inside, they too
soon become organized into activities that feed the ego. Thus, notwithstanding the true import of
religions, the mind continues to remain externalized. Then there are the
meditative systems which do better than the religions, in the sense that ‘Group
Fanaticism’ does not manifest in their practices. No doubt, the meditative
systems put a brake on the ceaseless swirling of thoughts and thus help produce
a calmer mind. However, unfortunately,
the meditative systems too feed the ego in the form of expected achievements in
the spiritual realm. It means that the
ego gains ground while giving the impression that it is quitting. This self-deception escapes notice in the
vast majority of people.
In order to
understand the journey of life, we should embark on an inward journey towards
the unspoiled consciousness in us. Dissolution of the externalized state of
mind takes place when there is simple self-awareness. It is a spiritual awakening not based on any
man-made system. The inward dive is not
one of psychological introspection, nor is it one of intellectual
analysis.
During the inward journey,
deep passivity characterizes the mental state.
Its quiet potency is observed in its ability to melt the crystal that
the mind is hardened into by repetitive thought in the form of ‘I’, ‘me’ and
the ‘mine’. It is something like the iceberg.
When that crystallized entity melts under sunshine and dissolves in the
surrounding waters, its contents return to the source and the crystal
disappears. There are many issues in our
lives that can give us a push in that direction. They serve as guide-posts and keep us focused
on the intriguing puzzle of the inward journey.
Some of these arise as questions in the following manner:
1. Why is it
that, even after practicing a religious system for years, freedom from fear,
attachment and hatred does not take place?
The practice only puts a lid on them and makes it appear as if they are
gone. (Smug satisfaction may be there in
the thought that one’s seat in heaven is confirmed!)
2. Why are
the antagonists too – the atheists and agnostics – who put themselves against
the ‘religionists’, do not find that freedom?
Both the
protagonists and the antagonists of religion seem to be barking up the wrong
tree!
3. Do the
shocks in life point to something that we are unwilling to see or acknowledge?
4. Can the
philosophical content of Death serve as an affectionate teacher?
5. What
roles do light-heartedness and cheerfulness play in the inward journey?
6. Is the
beckoning of sorrow in life an invitation to visit the hidden corners of
ourselves?
7.
Unknowingly, we build a psychological wall around us through
self-importance. Are there pointers in
our daily life that can alert us to that fact and, perhaps, open a door in that
wall?
A strange self-awareness begins to settle in
us as we apply ourselves to these puzzles.
A natural tenderness towards everyone and everything becomes a
concomitant factor. The book entitled “IN QUEST OF THE DEEPER SELF - A Joyous
Adventure” can be a wayside companion to those who find the above puzzles
interesting. Details of the book can be found in http://spirituality.yolasite.com . The author may be contacted at
gopal.tc@gmail.com
