Category Archives: Nature of Reality

A Conversation on War, Perception, and Conscience

Conversations, Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself, ,

I met a friend M at a café. What began as a casual conversation took an interesting turn.

M: Crazy things going on in the world right now, isn’t it?

Me: You mean the war?

M: Yes. It feels wrong. The way the USA has approached Iran, and how it presents itself as the righteous side — it feels hard to accept.

At this point, most conversations drift in a familiar direction — recounting mistakes, exchanging opinions, or even mocking those involved.
But rarely do they go deeper.

Me: That may be true. But there’s something we often miss.

M: What?

Me: You and I can look at these actions and call them wrong or even foolish. But do you think those taking these actions see them that way?

I doubt it.

From their perspective, they are doing the right thing. In fact, they may feel the world is unfairly criticizing them and not supporting their effort.

M: What do you mean?

Me: Take the USA — or more specifically, leaders like Donald Trump and those who support such decisions. They are not directly experiencing what people on the receiving end of bombings go through.

From where they stand, their actions make sense.

They may genuinely believe that a nuclear-armed Iran is a threat to US interests and global stability — and that such a threat must be eliminated.

Iran, on the other hand, has lived under sanctions for decades and sees US military presence in neighbouring regions. From their perspective, developing nuclear capability may feel like the only way to deter aggression.

So both sides may claim they want peace.

And yet, their actions lead to war — the opposite of peace.

M: So are you saying both USA and Iran are right?

Me: I’m not focusing on who is right or wrong. That’s difficult to conclude.

What matters is this:

Our actions are shaped by how we see the situation.

How we see drives how we act. And that is what creates the wide range of situations and experiences we see in the world.

M: Can you explain that further?

Me: Donald Trump has spoken about wanting peace, even positioning himself as someone deserving recognition for it. Yet his actions — such as withdrawing from agreements and choosing military responses — appear misaligned with that intention.

But from his perspective, the world looks different.

If you see Iran as a serious and immediate threat, your actions will reflect that perception. He sees himself leading the world’s most powerful military — so why not use it to neutralize that threat?

Similarly, Iran may see itself as acting defensively. It knows that countries with nuclear capability are rarely challenged. With US bases surrounding it, the threat feels constant. From that view, nuclear capability becomes a deterrent.

So the USA sees Iran as a threat that must be stopped.

Iran sees nuclear capability as necessary for survival.

Both may want peace — but their perceptions lead to actions that create conflict.

M: That’s interesting. But what will make them change?

Me: I don’t know about Trump specifically. But in my experience, change comes from clear seeing.

When I see clearly — without justifying, without blaming others — that my actions are not aligned with my intention, or when I truly feel the impact of my actions on others, something shifts.

What we call conscience awakens.

And only that can change how we act.

M: Can you give an example?

Me: Sometimes individuals step away from positions of power or responsibility when they realize their actions are not aligned with what they truly stand for. You may have heard of officials in the Trump administration who resigned.

Not out of guilt.

But out of clarity.

M: So are you saying those who go to war have no conscience?

Me: It’s more subtle than that.

It’s not that people lack conscience.

It’s that it often remains dormant.

Most of us lose touch with our deeper intention. We move through life mechanically. In that process, our actions drift away from what we would truly stand for.

When that gap is not seen, nothing changes. We continue to justify our actions.

But when someone pauses, reflects, and clearly sees the mismatch between intention and action, conscience can awaken.

And with that clarity, action changes naturally, without any external force.

M: So one must remember one’s intention?

Me: Yes.

Deep Conversation in a Café

Conversations, Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself,

A recent conversation with my friend S in a café.

Me: Life is uncertain. Don’t you think? Anything can happen anytime.

Friend: Yes, so go ahead and enjoy it while it lasts. Why are you worried and always trying to show the fleeting side of it?

Me: But don’t you see what’s happening in the world?

Friend: How does that affect you?

Me: Don’t be so naïve. Even if it doesn’t affect you now, it will in a few months. Everything is connected. You have a cushion to protect you from shocks. Not everyone has it.

Friend (thinking): True. But what can you do about it? These forces are beyond your control. And one thing is sure — worrying about it won’t make it better.

Me: My point is not about worrying. My point is — why are we not seeing? Why are we ignoring what’s happening and going on with our lives as if nothing is happening? We are turning a blind eye.

Friend: It’s not like that. One person can’t do much even if they see what’s going on. Don’t you have a family to take care of? You must enjoy your life while you can. Why bother about things happening elsewhere that don’t concern you?

This is the challenge with most people. We don’t see the whole picture. We see only what is happening in our own lives. And eventually, when things don’t go right for us, we experience the same apathy from others. Then we complain — why is no one bothered? Why does no one see? We want others to look at us. But we don’t want to look at others. This is how we are conditioned. But it is conditioning. And it can be seen.

Me: Hear me out. Let’s try to understand.

You go to work to earn money. With that money, you enjoy life. You feel you are doing well. You earned it, so you deserve it.

But look closely — this is a setup.

You are born into it. You are told to pursue education, get a job, build a life. And once you do, you feel you’ve succeeded. You left others behind. You are smart, capable.

But something else happens quietly.

You become afraid of losing it.

This life pulls you into its vortex. You run faster and faster.

Yes, there are good moments — travel, experiences, comfort.

But underneath it all, your life becomes structured and narrow.

Home → car → office → car → home.

Maybe an airport. Maybe a restaurant. Then back again.

You don’t really know what lies beyond this loop.

You are isolated from the larger movement of life.

As you grow older, the pressure increases —

on your relationships, your health, your mind.

And even if you want to step out, you can’t.

The best you get is a two-week vacation.

Friend: What’s your point? It sounds depressing. Why focus on the negative side?

Me: I’m not talking about everyone.

There are people struggling every day just to survive. For them, meaning and purpose are not the priority. They need solutions, not philosophy.

But there are others — like you and me.

We are in a more comfortable position. We have time. We have stability.

So what do we do with that space?

We work more.

Or we distract ourselves.

Friend: What is there to find out? Not everyone is spiritually inclined like you. People want to enjoy life. What’s wrong with that? If I’ve earned money, shouldn’t I enjoy it?

Me: It’s not about spirituality or giving things up.

It’s about reality.

I’m saying — you are not really living in the real world.

It’s like being born in Disneyland and believing the cartoon characters are real.

You never question.

You never wonder.

And I don’t blame you.

You were given answers early in life — so you stopped looking for yourself.

This is where most conversations end. People disengage. They return to their phones, messages, news. Curiosity has been slowly replaced by information. We were trained to accumulate knowledge — not to inquire. To rekindle that curiosity is difficult. Sometimes, it takes a shock.

Friend: So what do you want me to see?

Me: Look — you believe you are S.

But are you really?

Others told you that. It’s written on your birth certificate, your Aadhaar card. You can prove it.

But that is just a name.

Who are you, really?

Have you ever wondered about this simple fact — that you are alive?

Or do you just carry on mechanically?

It is possible to live like this — comfortably, in this constructed world.

But if curiosity is rekindled, something changes.

You begin to look.

Beyond the structure. Beyond the story.

And in that moment of seeing, you experience yourself as the one who sees.

Beyond identity. Beyond labels.

At that point, words fall short.

From there, you have to see for yourself.

Friend: (looks at me in disbelief)

“Okay…Sounds nice. Let’s go now. Please ask for the bill.”

The Buddha Speaks on No-Self

Buddhism, Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself, Reflections, , , , , ,

One of the central teachings of the Buddha is that of No-Self. This teaching appears in the Anatta-lakkhana Sutta, which means the signs of no-self. Atta is pali word for Atma so Anatta is Anatman in Sanskrit, signifying no-soul or no-self. This teaching went against the grain of existing understanding that every person has an enduring ever-lasting soul which dies and is born again into a new body.

In the Anatta-lakkhana Sutta, the Buddha says: Form is not the self. If the form (of your body) were really the self or the soul, then it would not be a cause of suffering, of pain. Further, if it were really one’s soul or self, one could say – let my form is such. But since form is not self, it is a cause of suffering and you have no control on it.

The Buddha then goes on to say the same for feelings, mental formations, volition and consciousness, the other four aggregates which make up an individual. One by one he refutes each aggregate as the self.

The individual is composed of the aggregates but there is nothing permanent in any aggregate and hence, no self to be found in the individual.

The story goes on to claim that the 5 bhikkhus who listened to this teaching achieved the discernment into the non-selflessness of phenomena. It is possible, those bhikkhus were already wise enough to perceive this truth but for someone who likes to question and doubt, the Q&A session at the end of any talk is the most important part where he can clarify his own understanding by asking questions to the speaker.

Let’s assume, someone in the audience, has some doubts on what the Buddha said. Here is how the conversation might proceed.

Questioner: You say that there is no self. Then does it imply that it is ok to kill someone? You are not killing anyone if there is no one to kill, isn’t it?

Buddha: I say phenomena is made up of aggregates. If you consider non-living things like stones or mud, then there is only a form aggregate. There is no feeling, mental formations, volition or consciousness which can be combined into mind. There is no mind for a stone, only form. You can break a stone into pieces. There is no self in it. No problem. Now consider a living being or we can say sentient being because it has both body (form) and mind (mental formation, feelings, volition and consciousness). If you inflict a wound on such a living being whether human or animal, it is bound to create painful feelings, thoughts of fear, various mental formations like anger or revenge. If you hurt the living being to such an extent that the aggregates which were a part of the being are no longer functioning in harmony, we can say you have killed that being. However, there is no reason to assume a permanent soul or self in this case also. I always say that no living being wants to suffer and you must not make any living being suffer.

Questioner: It may be so. But ultimately, there is no one to kill or there is no one who suffers. Just a re-configuration of aggregates. So I am not clear about the implications of no-self.

Buddha: At a deeper level, no-self is a view, a mindset, a realization, an awakening. If you do not see it, you will see a self. You will see other persons and you will assume their agency. Being affected by someone’s words or actions, you may generate anger or fear which in turn might rouse you to harm them or kill them. However, if you see no-self, if you have the view of no-self, you will not see anyone. You will not ascribe agency to people. Words and actions of others might develop feelings and mental formations in you but you will clearly see them as impermanent aggregates only. This view prevents feelings from cascading into anger, rage to generate enough energy to harm and kill another being. I often give this example that if you are walking in a forest at dusk when visibility is low and you come across a snake on the ground, you may want to stamp on it to kill it. However when the sun rises and you see clearly, it was only a piece of rope not a snake, you will realize your folly.

Questioner: I understood. Thank you. But what if you mistook a snake for a rope? Wouldn’t the snake not bite you?

Buddha: I never said to walk without being alert. If you notice something, check it out or avoid it. In the case you are bitten, realize you are bitten and do whatever you can to save yourself. There is no magic that’s going to happen if you know about no-self.

Questioner: Ok, I got it. I understood what is no-self. I will live accordingly.

Buddha: Beware. It is not enough to just take the teaching of no-self and apply it blindly. You cannot take it as an excuse to either harm others or become less mindful. All actions have consequences. Aggregates behave as per the laws of nature. Water will flow, fire will burn and so on. Once you see aggregates for what they are – impermanent and fleeting with no controller, you will see they are doing their thing. You will attain wisdom. Till the time you see a self, a controller, a someone who is doing things, you will experience suffering. Please investigate deeply.

Questioner: Thank you so much.

Infinite Possibilities

Nature of Reality

Every moment has infinite possibilities. You can do one of a billion things right now.

However, the moment you decide, the moment you conclude, you stop being aware of those possibilities. You then just want to follow the conclusion; execute the decision.

The moment you decide to go to the office, or decide to write something or decide to take a shower, all those infinite possibilities collapse into one – the thing you have chosen to do.

But the moment you regain your awareness of your decision, you might have access to those infinite possibilities once again.

Half Knowledge is Dangerous

Language, Nature of Reality, Spirituality

There is a saying that half knowledge is dangerous.

If you have read the stories of Suppandi in the children’s magazine Tinkle, you will know what I mean. Once Suppandi’s master instructed him not to let anyone in the house while he was gone. Suppandi diligently followed the instructions and when his master returned, he did not allow even him to enter the house. Another time, some guests had come over to the house and Suppandi was asked to bring some Samosas. He brought them in his hand and was reprimanded by his master to bring everything in a plate. Next day his master asked him to bring his shoes and Suppandi brought them in a plate.

Image Credit: Tinkle

These stories illustrate in a funny way how half knowledge is dangerous. However, it is true in real life also. Cooking a new dish without knowing the nuances may affect the taste of your preparation. Writing a complex piece of code without knowing the entire context of the customer’s requirements will lead to unintentional bugs. Travelling to a distant city without accurate maps will lose you hours in getting on the right track. In the simplest case, if your knowledge is less than complete, you will get less marks in the exam. We can recognize innumerable such examples in our daily life.

If we really think about this, then whatever we know is always incomplete, always half. In fact the more we know the more we feel we know less about something. So at all times, our knowledge is half knowledge. We don’t know the entire story.

Just to clarify, when we say half, it is not exactly 50%. It means not knowing different facets of the subject. Whether you know 25% or 75%, it is still less than complete, therefore it is called half. You cannot say that someone who knows 25% is more ignorant than someone who knows 75% or the other way round.

So now the question begs itself. Is there a state of complete knowledge? If you keep on gaining knowledge, will you ever know everything? I doubt that.

New knowledge is always getting created and therefore it is an endless journey to gather complete knowledge. In the lifetime of an individual, it is not possible to acquire all the knowledge of all the things.

Since we all are in the state of half knowledge and we take action based on that, so we are all ‘dangerous’ people. Whatever action we take based on our half knowledge is less than optimum and will may create more harm than good in the long run. But that seems like a controversial statement. Obviously, we can do good for others and not all our actions are harmful.

At this stage, we reach a point where our understanding is limited by the collective understanding. It is possible that even though when the world says something is good, it may be harmful but you will know only when you get some more knowledge of the cause and effect of that action.

This discussion is taking us deeper into the meaning of knowledge, good and harm. It is not possible to conclude this at this level.

They say the Buddha had complete knowledge. In one of the suttas, the Buddha said to his monks that he knew far more than what he revealed to them, taking the analogy that he taught only a handful of leaves compared to all the leaves in the forest. According to the Buddha, we must focus only on the alleviation of suffering and not bother about who created the universe and whether it is eternal or not.

According to the Buddha, knowledge that helps in alleviation of suffering is superior to knowledge that may lead to increase in suffering or have no impact on suffering.

Vedanta philosophy points seekers to go beyond knowledge. It speaks of the ending of knowledge. Ved + Anta = Vedanta. The Vedas were considered to be the repository of all knowledge till then. But it was found by the wise that that knowledge was not conducive to emancipation or awakening. It merely was leading people on the path of rituals and worship.

Could it be that the clue to solving this conundrum is to get an insight into knowledge i.e. understanding the very nature and structure of knowledge.

That which we call knowledge is a consensus, a provisional conclusion, not ultimately real. It is something that helps you to get along in life, work with others and do things but none of that fundamentally is true, it’s not the substance of the universe.

Mathematicians will argue otherwise and speak of the perennial constants and universal ratios which are at the root of the laws of nature. But such laws are just the result of our universe being the way it is and mathematics a way to understand that through symbols. They are the truth only of our observable universe dependent on the way we have designed our science.

Knowledge, if we understand it as a description of the world whether in language of English or Mathematics, has inherent limitations, which cannot be overcome by gathering more knowledge.

Knowledge is the description of the world and description = words and words are symbols to represent what is. But ‘what is’ cannot be captured as symbols or in words and descriptions. Knowledge by its very nature is a representation of ‘what is’ and a re-presentation is not the real deal.

To know ‘what is’, knowledge must be dropped and only bare awareness must be retained. When you are able to look and hear what is with bare awareness without creating knowledge of that, then there comes a time when you can directly experience ‘what is’ and know directly, not through any representation of words and formulas.

Direct knowing is complete at all times. This is not gathered knowledge or applied knowledge. This direct knowing is new and fresh every moment. And action based on this direct knowing is the right action that is good, not harmful.

So it is not a question of half or complete knowledge, it is a question of direct knowing or indirect knowledge.

Inner Life Joy

Enlightenment, Happiness, Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself

Experience is a continuous process. It is always there from the time we are born till we die. It is always there from the time we wake up to the time we sleep. It is also there during our sleep. However, the nature of our experience changes during different times of the day and age. Each experience is not the same.

Come to think of it, how do we know we have experienced something? Because it stands out from the rest of the stream of experience isn’t it? We only notice the peaks of experience. If nothing has happened in the past one hour, it does not mean we have not experienced anything.

However, if suddenly there is a loud crash on the road and you are jolted from your sofa, then you say you experienced a loud noise. You may run out to the balcony to see what happened. If you see someone you know has met with an accident, you will experience something more than if you see some stranger involved in the accident.

If life is just a series of events that you experience day in and day out, then are you in control of what experiences you get? It seems not. Is our mind or brain just a box meant to receive sights and sounds and tastes and smells and experiences?

Are our experiences just a reaction to the external world? It does seem so. If it is hot outside, we feel miserable. If it is chilly outside, we feel uncomfortable. If someone says “You are a great person” you experience some emotion of happiness or pride. But if someone says “you are a lousy person” you may experience anger or sadness.

Is our inner life so tightly connected with what we see, hear or feel that we have no control on our own experience? It does seem to be the case. But we never pay attention to this. It seems so natural for us to blame some person or some condition for the experience we are having.

It should therefore come as a big surprise to you if I declare that you can experience any emotion you want in any situation. Since you have never exercised your ability to choose the emotion you want,  it may seem difficult at first. Moreover, the external world is constantly throwing sensory impressions at you and you are constantly experiencing something or the other depending on your prior experiences and habitual tendencies. Further, you are continuously blaming something or someone for your experiences so the thought of being responsible for your own experiences never occurs to you.

To get out of this negative loop, we need to remember that we can choose our experience. The first step in that direction is to notice our current experience. If you notice what you are experiencing right now, then only you will be in a position to replace it with another experience. So the next question is obviously, with what experience would you like to replace your current experience?

It is not worthwhile to imagine replacing a sad experience with a happy one on the flick of a switch. It would seem odd that while others are crying because they have lost someone in an accident and you suddenly burst out happy and laughing. That is not the kind of experience changing I am talking about. What is reasonable to be able to do is that while others are crying, you may not experience that level of anguish. And even if you are crying, you may notice that you are crying. Noticing itself is a big thing. Noticing itself if maintained as pure noticing, will bring about a change in the experience.

If you continue to notice, you do not need to choose another emotion to replace your current experience with. The natural process will automatically bring you to a stable experience. That experience, if practiced, is also known as a equanimous calm or inner joy. This experience when practiced through non-judgmental noticing becomes unshakeable in due course.

Then you will not experience the ups and downs of your earlier emotional roller coaster which was totally under the influence of external events and persons. Now, there is an experience of a constant source of energy and joy underneath your outer appearance and which is not a result of any forced effort. But it is just there and you continue to notice the same.

This inner joy is your true nature. You will know yourself as this inner joy and not be caught up with your name and designation and other egoistic identifiers. There is no name for this inner joy but this is your true nature.

May you find this inner joy. There is nothing more valuable than this in the whole universe.

Are You Aware of Your Assumptions?

Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself, ,

assumption

In life we are making assumptions of all kinds all the time. We assume that the milkman will come on time, the product you bought online will turn out to be good, the traffic will be as usual on the way to the office, and the spouse’s mood will be normal in the evening. And because on most days, these things turn out to be according to what we assumed, we tend to take these assumptions for granted.

So when, the next time we are caught in an unexpected traffic jam, we either curse ourselves or wonder how the city life is deteriorating. Next time when the maid does not come on time, we pick up an argument. Next time your boss overlooks your report, you become uneasy and start to worry about your impression.

Assumptions in themselves are not a problem. We need to make assumptions to keep our life running. If we had to live our life without any assumptions, then we would be living in a constant state of panic and fear, not trusting anyone around us.

The mistake we make is that we are not aware that we are making assumptions.

When you sit in a cab, you make an assumption that the driver will take you to the destination you told him. It is possible that the driver will take you somewhere else. The possibility, however small, does exist. And when that happens, you panic, you begin to shout, become angry and later start to wonder why it happens to you only.

There is another assumption at work here – your assumption that the world moves according to how you think it is supposed to work. The truth is that the world moves in mysterious ways and despite all the patterns and laws we have superimposed on reality to make it more predictable, we encounter situations where our assumptions turn out to be false.

To stop taking reality for granted, we need to develop awareness of our assumptions, even when they seem to be serving the purpose.

Reality is not following our assumptions but it is the way it is.

If we observe reality keenly and accept whatever it presents to us, we will be in a better position to navigate through life.

Whenever you are in a situation which makes you suffer, try to discover what assumptions you made about something or someone and instead of blaming the situation or another person, realize that it was merely your assumption.

Alternatively, ask, clarify, investigate and inquire about the cause of the situation. This will help you to update your assumptions. For instance, if you notice that your spouse is in a bad mood, ask what is the problem instead of reacting to the mood. You might think this is difficult to do but who knows it might be another assumption you are nurturing.

The ability to become aware of our own assumptions is a skill that can be developed with some practice. You will realize that your experience of life moves several notches up when you are more aware of what assumptions you are making about your life and are able to realize them as assumptions and not laws of nature. You will then be able to learn every moment and enjoy life every moment.

Does Rain Have A Brain?

Nature of Reality, Reflections,

It is rainy season. It rains, sometimes continuously for days and sometimes intermittently through the day. The news channels are busy reporting the havoc caused by incessant rains in different parts of the country where normal life is seriously disrupted.

black-and-white-clear-cool-459451

Is the rain doing it on purpose? Does it have a brain so to say? Does it decide where to rain and how much to rain? Does it see from high above the clouds, as it surveys the landscape, and then does it decide on its target audience or target city and then with great precision, commences its attack on unsuspecting people, vehicles, animals, roads and buildings and only stops when it is satisfied that the planned damage has been accomplished?

It seems childish to credit rain with this kind of intentional activity but every now and then we do speak or hear others speak of the rain in this manner. For example, it happens to many of us that we start from home to go to our place of work and we note that it is not raining when we start. But as soon as we are on the road, it rains heavily as if the rain wants to get at us, especially me. And this thought is reinforced by the observation that the rain stops as soon as you reach your destination. Even if you are the most rational person, you might want to credit the rain with a devious brain when you see it doing this the third time in a row.

So does the rain really have a brain that is somehow tracking you and all other millions of people across the country, calculating all the permutations and combinations about how much to rain and on whom to rain; which roads to convert to potholes and which cars to drown? Obviously not. We all know that the rain is a function of the elements of the ecosystem. The hotter the summer, the stronger the rains – because the sun would have evaporated a lot of water from the water bodies and now all of that cannot remain in the clouds so it comes down. Where the rain hits is a function of the wind systems around the world and the tree cover on the land. So without going into the mathematics of the climate and weather systems, it would suffice to say that these are pure elements at work and rain does not care whether it is raining on bare land or on people or on cities or on forests.

Rains simply happen because that’s the way it is. It could not be any other way on that day at that time. If you are frustrated or angry because you got wet, it is not the rain’s fault. And in the same vein, it is not your fault either. Your brain reacts to the rain depending on your mind’s ecosystem – where the wind of your thoughts is blowing when it rains, how much the summer of being lost in activities of daily life evaporated your energy, and how much forest cover you have of your own self-awareness.

When it rains, you see adults taking cover while children coming out to play and dance. Simply a difference in the ecosystems of your mind.

Rains are an invitation to experience the senses – the smell of the earth, the feel of the water on your body, the sight of the clouds, intermittent sun and the occasional rainbow, the musical sound of the raindrops falling on the ground or even on the tin shed nearby and the taste of the hot tea or hot pakodas during the rains – everything about the rainy season is deeply sensual.

The rainy season stimulates the senses like no other season, if you care to pay attention and not get caught in news reports and thoughts about how the rain is scheming to upset your plans.

Rains are nature’s way of asking you to stop and observe the beauty of creation, the impermanence of everything around us that is continuously ending something and creating something new from that – the greenery with all the flowers that come up after rains, the crops that grow from rains and supply us with food and the rivers that nourish the land until the next rainy season – the power of nature.

So while I have argued from the point that rains do not have brains, I still am crediting nature with an intention in the above paragraph. That’s the way the mind works. Can’t help it!

 

 

 

Is Reality an Illusion?

Metaphors, Movies, Nature of Reality, On Knowing Oneself, ,

Is reality merely an illusion? The wise keep saying that. But it is difficult to wrap our heads around this notion. After all, we see, hear, smell, taste and feel things. How can all this be an illusion?

movie hall

Imagine you are in a movie hall engrossed in an exciting movie. As the movie captivates your attention, it begins to influence your emotions and state of mind. Depending on whether the movie is a thriller or a horror movie, you experience the ups and downs of emotions along with the characters in the movie.

So the question is – Is the movie real? Yes it is. It is playing in front of you. But it is not real. The characters are not real. It is an illusion created on the screen in front of you.

I am sure you would have experienced a movie which made you cry, laugh, and once in a while make you jump out of your chair. We think the movie is good, well made, well directed and the actors were superb. However, we forget one very important thing – the fact that we invest reality into the movie. Although it is not done by explicitly thinking “I am going to consider this movie as real” but the overall effect of lights out and loud volume immerses you into the movie and makes it appear as real. Without this serious participation in the movie on our part, we will not enjoy it.

Similarly it is with other things in life. Take for example sports. We have to invest seriousness into something which is fundamentally non-serious. Scoring a goal or taking a wicket is nothing in itself without us making a serious business of it.

Therefore, the wise say that life is merely the game of God – Lila.

All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players… (Shakespeare)

So it takes a slight turning around of our view, although happening in an unaware state, to consider an illusory thing as real. Similarly, it takes a reversal of that turning around in our view, by doing it consciously, to come back to normal perspective on things.

As a child, I cried when Amitabh died in Sholay. My parents told me it is only a movie and that he did not die in reality. Many people are upset when their team loses a match. But it only takes a minor realization that it is only a game in order to get over the sadness.

Getting Stuck

The problem is not that we consider as serious business what is not serious but it is staying for long in that specific state. When we continuously invest seriousness into everything in life, we experience stress. Even a small one minute delay will raise our blood pressure. We become cranky, demanding and pushy if we take everything as real.

However, staying too much on the other extreme is also equally problematic. If we assume the position that nothing in life is serious, then we will not be able to act appropriately in life. We will become casual, non committal when we take everything as illusion.

Those are the two extremes. The true path is in the middle. Discard both views that life is real or illusion and take life as it is. Do not ask how!

Everything is real and is not real. Both real and not real. Neither real nor not real. This is Lord Buddha’s teaching. (Mulamadhyamakakarika – Root verses of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna)

Just notice and be aware and be conscious whenever you invest seriousness (when you act as if it was real and it mattered) or non-seriousness (when you act as it it did not matter at all) into any situation in life.

So life is not serious but let us not take it casually or life is serious but let us not take it seriously!

 

Seeking For The Truth

Where Can I Find Truth

Lot of people seek for the truth.

But truth is not something that can be seen as some image.

It is not something that can be heard as some sound.

It is not something that can be smelled or tasted.

It is not something that can be touched.

So in what way do people expect to find the truth?

Is it an idea?

Is it some thought that is considered as the truth?

Is it an experience?

Note that in order to be sure that one has found the truth, one must be in a position to recognize it.

How can one recognize the truth if one has never had an experience of it before, when one does not know what it is?

Some say that truth is to be found within

True we can search for it within but what does one expect to find.

When the search begins one does not know what one is searching for & there are many falsities masquerading as the truth. So how does one differentiate ?

What if truth is right there in front of us but we miss it & go on seeking somewhere else ?

These are some questions that every sincere seeker of truth must investigate.  He or she must not accept or discard anything without proper investigation.