Questions and Answers

Questions confront us regardless of where one is born, where one works and what kind of life one exists. Some fundamental questions that one may encounter would be:

Why do we run?

This question deals with the idea of ‘Time’ and its pressure on you and me. What is this ‘pressure’? Why do we keep running and acting as if this is the default mode of operation? In order to fully understand the gravity of this question, try to pursue it further deep down, see where it leads, see how many issues get tied with this question and realize that it deals with ‘fear’.

What is fear? And why do we fear? Can we master it?

For us, fear is the basic feeling that gives rise to all other thoughts. Fear ensures survival at all levels from physical to psychological. We may very easily identify with our urge of ensuring physical protection to ourselves – food, shelter and clothing. However, psychological fear is much more complicated and it involves our tendency to remain attached to things – places, people, objects or any idea that feeds our idea of ‘self’. It may be felt that any shock to our constructed ideas (thoughts) is as traumatic, painful, lethal as severely injured body. So what seems to be happening here? The issue is connected with our nature of ‘thoughts’. And these seem to play a fundamental role in creating impressions on our mind.

So what are ‘thoughts’?

Thought is energy. We create it or continue to harbor it till we die. Why do thoughts occur? Because we choose to identify with our limited existence – determined by our body and time. In order that our bodies survive as long as possible, we continue to think and live in fear. We then create meaning, purpose, passion, desires, optimization and all sorts of criteria to keep us engaged in the pursuit of achieving that promised state of ‘stability’. We choose to cling to those moments, memories, people, places that offer us hope, peace, security or we choose to respond to some imaginary notion of happiness that is conditional (i.e. based on accomplishing a good job, salary, spouse, family, property and so on). Whatever we do, we are not getting the point – and the point is that we need to know what we are thinking and how it is affecting us. As long as we consider all environmental circumstances as ‘real’ (or something to be fixed or reacted to), we are trapped in the race of perfection or achieving some self proclaimed standards of milestones. We continue to believe that we can recreate that peaceful moment IF we do this or we do that or we are with somebody or if we possess that or if we are heard  and many other ‘ifs’…..Our life seems conditional! Over several such reruns and several such faltering moments, we may realize that we can’t create a perfect moment by referring to some stable notion of ‘past’ or some hypothetical perfect scenario of the future. The ‘past’ is gone (and with it our state of mind which can’t be recreated) and the ‘future’, although eminent, does not confirm exactly to what we desire since many factors are beyond our control or imagination. So, in a nutshell, we are aiming for absolute control of everything around us. By absolute control, I mean all factors that constitute place and time – the entire existence! Why do propose such an impossible benchmark for our happiness? Why are we so paranoid about control? Further thinking will take you back to the notion of fear. And again, to the question of what is fear and how it constructs our thoughts? The only way to break this cycle of thoughts is to decode fear, which is the toughest thing to undertake. As long as we believe that we are ‘bound’ to something – body (place) and mind (time), we will generate fear in us. It will dawn on us the subtle, but powerful effect of thoughts on our perception of life. Resisting any thoughts is of no use and nor is encouragement of thoughts. Any thoughts create impressions, desires, connections, attachments and so on. However, the effort is to not identify yourself with your thoughts. You are beyond the thoughts. Thoughts will continue to come and will compel you to act – that can’t be avoided. Once born, one is compelled to act and be immersed in experiencing life. However, having realized the nature of thoughts, we may begin to act with an increased awareness that we need not cling to our thoughts and actions. That makes us free. That reduces fear. That makes us realize the idea of transcendence and tranquility. This realization can come to anyone at any point of time.

Ask yourself what you are?

Clothes or food or house or property or family or spouse of parents or friends or what?

Ask yourself are you these feelings – hatred, jealousy, pride, fear, ego, etc.?

Ask yourself are you the body which ages? Are you the Time that makes you young or old?

Are you supposed to keep working because that’s what defines you?

Are you supposed to keep earning because that’s what gives you value?

Are you supposed to procreate because that’s what everybody looks forward to?

Are you supposed to seek approval or confirm to some notion given by society so you feel cared for or accepted or loved? Will that really give you comfort?

Are you really seeking comfort? Should you really seek comfort?

Should you really justify the world’s point of view?

Should you really rebel just for being different?

Should you really voice your opinions because that’s what makes you feel that you are heard? What if you aren’t heard at all - does that annoy you? Why should it? Why assume things? Why assume that you are always right or you need to be right?

Why think that you should always perform 100%?

Why be assertive in your actions and keep imposing yourself on others?

Why be intolerant of others viewpoints, if they contradict yours?

Why be jealous of anybody for anything for any reason?

Why lay expectations from life regarding anything?

Why expect that life should happen the way you think it should?

Why do you act?

Why do you think?

What should you think?

What is the purpose of your being here?

Is there a purpose? Should there be a purpose? ….

Have you asked these questions to yourself anytime? Have you shrugged them in the carpet – hoping that they won’t come again? But they will. And you need to learn to ‘honour’ them – for they will finally reveal the understanding of what life is!