The Accidental Being
As human beings the most fundamental work that we need to focus on is the development of self. The complex, competitive, and fast changing world of today, has ensured that we live a life of accident rather than intent. It is when our way of being is accidental that we face the danger of calamities that befall us. In fact the constant threat of a calamity waiting to happen is more taxing than the calamity itself. Often we find that when the calamity occurs we do respond, dig deep, and manage to face the worst and even overcome it. But the unknowns are what lead to stress- the more success you have the more stressed you get. That is the price you pay for success. We talk about stress management as if that is given, as if it is an integral part of our lives. In reality you need to manage your internal systems, your thoughts, the basis of your joys, sorrows, ecstasies.
All human experience is really within each being. Light and darkness, joy and sorrow is within you. It is not an external phenomenon that is beyond your control. It is very much internal, and hence well within your control. The human state of bliss is what you achieve yourself, and it is only you who can keep that blissful state constant, which keeps your body in good repair. How effectively can you harness the capability of your mind and body? Can you achieve 24 hours of bliss- just the way you want it? Nothing happens exactly the way you want it to – the external environment is unfriendly and not under your control. But what will always be under your control is your body and your mind which should take instructions only from you. The mind can be a misery manufacturing machine and the cause of all human suffering. Where is your experience being generated? Within you. The basis or source of all your experiences is within you. So who should determine the nature of your experience? Nothing must really happen by chance.
Spirituality on the other hand can help you understand your mind and body well enough to know the human mechanism from its origin to its ultimate possibility. It helps you understand the true meaning of being human, and as long as your intelligence is not tangled with confusion your spiritual journey just naturally happens. A prejudiced mind cannot reveal the true reality of life. Today we associate being human to being error prone and leading a life of limitation. Your well being is extremely fragile, and you have to work at achieving bliss that is sustainable. Most humans only work to 15% of their true potential because they are constantly distracted by the challenge of living which is often an unpleasant experience. A life that is full of pleasantness is possible if you want it so. Keep yourself in a constant state of pleasantness and your intellectual capabilities will multiply and grow to help you perform to a much higher level of potential. Your mind and body will respond better to pleasantness and this will help it perform better.
Feel pleasant because of who you are, not because someone or something outside you dictates so. The external circumstances should not influence human consciousness. As humans we create situations. Animals don’t. They just respond to situations because they live only by instinct. If we look at our lives today which by our own standards has made so many scientific and social innovations compared to the humans of the past, let us ask ourselves “are we the most comfortable generation of human civilization? The answer is clearly yes! But are we the most joyful, the most, peaceful, the most blissful? NO!! So let us stop and look around us. Fixing the outside is not the answer. We spend so much time trying to engineer what is clearly not within our control. If we spent even half that time engineering the inside,engineering ourselves, by paying attention to ourselves, we will see results that will surprise the most cynical amongst us. If survival is all we need, our five senses are enough. They shape our perceptions but they are all external and unreliable because all sense organs are outward bound. If you need more than survival, other dimensions of being human begin to assert itself. A tiger does not have to worry about how to become a good tiger. But as human beings we have the freedom to choose, and this freedom is what adds to our suffering. The more you contemplate life from this perspective the more complex it becomes. Whatever you identify with your mind rotates around it – what you accumulate can be yours but it cannot be you. Repetitive intelligence is what we call karma- we set up patterns that are repetitive, and whatever goes on in our heads rules us. So our experiences in life are 100% our own doing. Your life is not a tragedy because this did not happen or that did not happen- the most significant aspect of your life is that you are alive. Your psychological reality is far more important than your existential reality.
People coming out of restaurants look more happy today than those coming out of churches, temples or mosques. This is a function of their belief system. The moment you say I believe, you are accepting that you do not know. Do you believe or do you know? Why do you believe in God, but know that you have two hands? We are not sincere enough to say what we know or what we do not know. So we say we believe. If we work hard at it, it is possible to believe anything. All belief systems are cultural- it comes from the immediate family or society. Is God a man or a woman/ Is he or she white or black? Whatever we know we know what we do not know we assume and so becomes a part of our belief. Belief systems have fractured humanity. But it is only an idea and so can be changed. Thought is fluid. If you continue to think in just one way it cannot be a perfect thought. The quality of your life is not a function of your capability but your willingness to create your own well being.
Focusing though on your internal being, makes life more simple, and pleasant. It requires self awareness, which is further accentuated by meditation (Dhayana). We all have three distinct levels of experience: You, Your body, and Your mind. All physical and mental suffering can be easily overcome.Create a distance between your body and mind. Fear of suffering is a constant in our lives today – fear is always of the unknown. What will happen to me? The distance between your body and mind, this space will remove all fear of suffering. We are all capable of creation which is within us. If you live on the surface you are the creation, but if live in your inner core, establish contact with yourself you can become a creator. Experience this choice. You can create your own joy your own painless existence.Your mind must respond the way you want it. The value of any instrument is when it takes instructions from you. So also your mind, which must take instructions only from you.
Memory is a collection of the events of the past. Imagination is an exaggeration of memory. Yes it does add some color bit is constantly using the raw material of memory. There is no real evidence that we as human beings are evolving even though we think that we are making so much material progress. We are living longer but what is the quality of this longer life? It takes a spiritual process to help us evolve as better human beings, living a life of intent. And such a spiritual journey will not happen because of somebody’s teaching. It comes from asking fundamental questions of yourself. Socrates was the earliest philosopher who learnt so much and helped with the learning of others through a constant stream of questions that opened up the mind and sought answers that would act as beacons of light in a world of darkness. Death- what is it? Remind yourself that you too will die one day. What is the nature of my existence? What is the purpose of my life? The pain of ignorance will bother you and turn you inward. If it does not, your questions are not deep enough. If the questions hurt, they make you scream in silence,then knowing is not far away. Evolving as human beings is about the kind of answers you have sought. Those who have probed deeper will find it possible to be more evolved than those who live on the surface and do not have conversations with themselves.
Blissfulness is the true compassion. Every person who is happy is in a good frame of mind and finds is easy to forgive, to show compassion. Only when you have achieved inner peace can you reach out and help others to become happy. Compassion is about being good to others and that is only possible if you have the ability to be good to yourself. Comfort and material possessions cannot contribute to your well being. You need to start the journey to find yourself. Looking outward to understand the nature of your existence will not work. How much of you has entered your consciousness? Are you happy to continue your life’s journey as an accidental being?
Pratap Nambiar
Executive in Residence, NUS Business School
CEO Thought Perfect Pte Ltd
This article was originally published in People Trends magazine.