These are certain questions which keep ringing in my mind on and off and to which i get instant answers from within my heart. The thought process has quite a shrill irritating tone whereas the voice of the heart is loud, clear and very firm. It is as though I have two personalities. One which is always confused, negative and gives me wrong directions and the other which hopes, aspires inspite of all difficulties, always positive, never reactive but always acts and is extremely focussed. But the former is quite predominant and it takes quite an extra effort to stop its functioning. Feelings like jealousy, envy, laziness, false ego are like clouds which hide the clear sky. They can be described as slush or mud. The voice of the heart is like the lotus flower growing out of the slushy pond.
The process of Meditation begins...
Ans: Beauty and sweetness are qualities which are very relative. A fisherwomen who always sleeps with a smell of fishes by her side does not get sleep smelling flowers. To her fishes are the sweetest smelling in the world. When one stops differentiating between various objects and have an equal view of all things then one shall discover that the world is truly beautiful and sweet. For e.g. one must appreciate both the taste of milk chocolate and the taste of bittergourd.
Q.2. What is the reason that there are so many pairs of opposites? What is the purpose behind it?
Ans: Darkness and Light, Truth and Falsehood, 0 and 1 and the things in between. It is truly a complicated world we live in. One must observe that these pairs of opposites complement each other and one cannot survive without the other. Falsehood must exist temporarily to enhance the quality of Truth. It is to realise the importance of Truth. If one is given a cup of coffee with too much sugar in it then one gets bored but drinks it all the same. With salt in the coffee, one immediately spits it out and makes another cup of coffee adding ample amounts of sugar. Thats life!
Q.3. What does this mean "Falsehood must exist temporarily"?
Ans: It is very easy to fall down from a cliff than to climb a mountain. Easy to go down the stairs than to move up. Falsehood is like that. When one realises that there is not a wee bit of ecstacy in falling down, when one realises that the joy in climbing up a mountain facing all odds is incomparable, till one reaches the highest summit the odds are heavily against him/her. Once the person reaches the destination then there is no reason for falsehood to exist.
Q.4. What is highest summit? Is that the destination one is supposed to reach?
Ans: Take the course of a river. A small trickle, then a stream, fast flowing river and breaking into various tributaries and finally it empties into the sea. The Ganges river starts from Gangotri in the Himalayas and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Just as the river has a purpose so does everything in life. A lion's purpose is to be born, grow, hunt, reproduce and die. Human beings too have a purpose. Other living creatures seem to be controlled under the forces of nature but it is we humans, who are born not to destroy nature but to appreciate her as well as think of something beyond.
Q.5. Think of something beyond?
Ans: Us human beings are special because we are provided with the special ability to think, reason and calculate. We have put this into destructive use and have wasted so much of our energy and resources in seeking after what we really don't find happiness in. Yes! happiness is our goal. But what can give one permanent happiness? Is it buying a new car? A top designer wear? Or winning a lottery? Helping people?
Even sometimes by doing good deeds, one does not get permanent happiness.
Q.6. Then what gives Permanent Happiness?
Ans: Perhaps the most difficult and the most important question that my mind can ever think of. The question itself is wrong! Happiness is not externally driven or given by something. It is a state which one chooses for oneself. To be happy, one must simply accept all, without a questioning mind, without cloudy thoughts, all that happens to one. It is very difficult but not impossible. It does not mean a state of inertia or inaction. One must act and continue to act like helping an injured person on the road, helping mother do the household chores but should one have to pay that person's hospital bill, should mother scold, likewise all the consequences of one's actions one must accept humbly without getting the least bit affected. Thats what Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita about not clinging on to one's own actions.
