Showing posts with label Confucius. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Confucius. Show all posts
Self-realization – What does it truly mean?
Before
any attempt can be made to provide an explanation, it must be understood that
everything in this world can be thought of problems and solutions to those
problems. As many intellectuals have already noted, “to solve a problem, one
needs to have a clear & thorough understanding of the problem itself”.
So
what is the problem here? The quest for getting to know the truth would
obviously direct us to the problem – what is the real meaning of
self-realization? So let us start by analyzing the problem.
The term self-realization
seems to be self-explanatory and we get a rough idea that it has something to
do with becoming aware of one’s own self. Easy, isn’t it? Yes, but is the
definition complete? What does one’s own self mean?
Is it the body that moves,
eats, drinks & takes a nap? Is it the mind that thinks, prompts one to act,
and visualizes the different fantasies of the world? Is it both of these,
neither of these, or a combination of these with something else?
One of the simplest
definitions is “Self-realization means becoming aware of this universal, cosmic power, available at all times. ”
Ah! Now what is this all non-sense
stuff about cosmic power? It may sound absurd, however when one thinks about it
in depth, it has to be acknowledged. We are surrounded by it all the time.
Its
only sad and disappointing that we have lost our intelligent faculties to
identify it, be in harmony with it and grow along with it. Of course all the
different cultures on this earth have duly noted this.
Its only that they have
named it according to their convenience. You have surely heard of “Chi”, “Tao”,
“Prana” right? And the list continues. Ever wondered what do they mean? As
Confucius narrates the parable of a baby fish and its mother, we must realize that every one of us is engulfed with the same cosmic entity.
Ok,
hang on…It is not a surprise that by reading the above lines many of you may
have dismissed it outright. Yes, it does not bring any excitement and sounds
just as if someone is pointing to the clouds overhead and say “look at that,
there is water in there!”.
Of course everyone knows the principle, sea water
evaporates and form clouds. One would say that after science has proved this by
performing experiments and we have been trained by means of education to accept
things that are rational to us, that make sense to us.
Unfortunately,
the topic that we are dealing with is not something that can be perceived by
everyone in the same intensity of light. Some need more and others can manage
to grasp the truth with less.
And the interesting part lies in the control of
intensity - who controls this? It is the individual who has the control!
Yes, we do have the
ownership of controlling this intensity in order to bring ourselves into the
path of truth, to understand our own self.
Science has not yet been
able to provide a step-by-step approach to direct us towards the control. Maybe
it will happen soon.
Let us see what we can do in the meantime to help ourselves
to realize the truth.
Which is better – Prodigality or Parsimony?
Spending
money in an excessive, wasteful, extravagant manner is Prodigality. The exact
opposite is Parsimony. It is an unwillingness to spend money wastefully.
Some
relate it to miserliness but it is apt to define it as the quality of being
careful with money matters.
Now,
let us look at the question. Which quality do you think is better?
Can
the golden plates and spoons in dining hall suffice to kill hunger? A person
who wishes to be indulged in extreme comforts, attempts to display the riches
that he possesses lavishly dives into a self-created well of egotism.
Without
being able to come out of the borehole, the person struggles to lead a happy
life.
However he makes the well look like a beautiful spring in an attempt to
mask his own struggle. He turns arrogant.
On the
other hand, when a person leads a simple and austere life, he would learn to be
content with his possessions.
He would understand the reality of life and won’t
have to wear a false face in front of others.
It is important for him to assess
this quality and not allow it go to extremes however this person gradually
turns to be treated as a niggard.
In
this context, Confucius comments that it is
better to be a niggard than arrogant. To become haughty in presence of opulent
things and being indulged in grandiose display of such stuff will only lead to
a downfall.
Thus the great master tells us to choose wisely the path of
parsimony. But it has to be noted that being a miser serves no good purpose. Being conscious about our own attitude, we need to avoid embracing arrogance unless we have decided to destroy our own life.
Perceive the Reality
We are
bound to the earthly elements to such an extent that we fail to notice the
reality. We tend to follow our daily routines rigidly without spending even few
moments to reflect upon the truth.
It is not that we can see, however we do not
attempt such an exercise. Once this question appears in our mind, it will
surely trigger us to raise our awareness and then perceive the reality.
So
what is this reality that we do not have an idea about? Confucius narrates
following parable to make us understand this.
A baby fish asked its mother, “I
keep hearing from everyone about water. What is it?"
The mother answered “Water
is what you swim in. We are made of water and we go back to water after we
die.”
"But where is it? I cannot see it?” questioned the baby to which the parent
answered “You look around, there is water everywhere. There is water inside us
as well as outside. Water surrounds us. We cannot be separated from water.”
Now
how can a fish know about it if it has not seen anything other than water? It
spends the entire lifetime within that but without realization. It has to raise
above the surface and then it can see the reality.
In a similar manner, we,
human beings forget the cosmic laws that surround us. We ignore the principles
underlying the universe and instead think that we rule the world.
Thus Confucius concluded “Fish forget they
live in water; people forget they live in the Tao." We all live in the
ocean of Tao. It flows over us; it is within us and all around us. It enfolds
us like our own skin, and yet we cannot perceive it; Indeed, most of us have
no idea what it is.”
Let us
reflect upon this thought and at least make a sincere effort to become aware of
the reality.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
We interact with many people daily. We might engage in casual
discussions with our colleagues, friends or relatives in the family. We might
deal with vendors, shopkeepers for business activities.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
However we need to bear in mind that appearances can be deceptive.
Our instincts may get fooled, the conclusion that we have made may not be
right. We should constantly be wary of the trap that might be in front of us.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Armed with this weapon, wolf went on to deceive the unsuspecting sheep
and enjoyed hearty meals. The moral is verily apparent. Within our own life in
different circumstances we meet cunning people.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
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