Fixing the problem

I have just begun to consider this question of encountering a problem and trying to fix it. It all started with a discussion regarding how people used to react to anger and how they tend to do so now – justification being the norm.  Considering the nature of anger, it reveals the tendency of thoughts embedded in our existence.

It is my feeling, that our urge to solve a problem – (when we are young, the problem appears to be situated externally – with a situation or a person or an object; as we grow, we start to realize that the problem’s basis may be about how we are interpreting the scenario) – is an indicator about our compulsion to control our thoughts. There are several obstacles in doing so –

1)      We think that the problem is rational in its nature, so we can fix it easily – just fix the person or the situation or whatever is bothering you. By repeated attempts, it becomes clear that it is not easy to do so and there are many dimensions to judge a situation and cannot be bracketed in pure black and white terms. So we begin to realize the cause and effect phenomena and see objects as related to one another. We try to do something on one object and it affects the other and we have to finally deal with a whole bunch of inter dependent scenarios like a juggling challenge!

2)      Frustrated or out of realization, we may begin to then question our own thoughts that ‘define’ the problem. The problem, we come to know, is not outside, but depends on how one chooses to think or visualize and act on it. Hence, the search starts within and we are convinced that ‘we’ ourselves are the problem! That’s the first difficult step to accept, so the external blame game stops and the internal review begins! However, we are still in the ‘fixing’ mode of operation and by this assumption, we try to fix our own selves – in terms of what thoughts are agreeable, which are not, what thoughts keep you disturbed, what keeps you buoyant? Then we try to control them – namely suppress the bad thoughts and prolong the good ones. There also, we encounter difficulties, since controlling thoughts, means to control the external situation as well – which is something that can’t be frozen. If the external situation can’t be frozen, then can we freeze our internal good thoughts forever? Again, we realize that thoughts change – from good to bad and vice versa. By repeatedly learning this lesson, one day, we let go of our thoughts. In other words, we do not compel us or force us or condition us to act in a particular way, so the situation will turn out good and there will be no harm to us. In a nutshell, we do not expect anything from us or the situation. Action, which depends on our interpretation of existence, compels us to expect something in return. Now this is a trap, as the consequences are not in our hands and hence our expectations aren’t fulfilled. That further causes additional compulsions to keep doing better next time, but we remain stuck in the cyclic nature of cause and effect. Thus, we realize what is there to control or argue on? Why is there so much cry on frustration and what is the need of getting angry?

3)      The above step is more difficult to accept, since we start to see thoughts as a phenomenon in themselves, and through which, we sense the world. Then our gaze changes from analysis of a phenomenon to observing the phenomenon. Herein, I am saying ‘observation’ as being purely non judgmental and seeing a particular thing in silence. Along the way, we realize more things. We realize the nature of thought and what it contains (many things from good to evil). We realize the trigger of thoughts (space-time and causation). We realize that thoughts are like any other phenomenon – here to stay and forever changing. We may realize that the attachment/ anger/ ego are the effects of thoughts of ‘us’ and a combination of efforts (analysis + observation + decoding + silence + meditation + concentration) may be required to see thoughts in a neutral way. This is the realization of Direct Experience, where the differentiation goes away, judgment goes away, values go away.

4)      So the question is  - was there a problem at all? Was there anything to be fixed? And is there any need to remain dissatisfied because we can’t control situation or us? Was our assumption wrong – about controlling? Maybe it was.

5)      I am also skeptical about the contemporary need or compulsion so to say, to verbalize whatever one is thinking. I believe that creates disturbance of the mind and gets us more attached to constructs of ego. Of course, denial of the ego is also not the solution. Confirmation or denial or critical thought or relative thought – any of the above are not the solutions to problems in life. There is no problem of any kind at all. Observation is what is required. That’s it. Perhaps observation means being in love and just acting naturally. Why to talk so much? Do it!