Life is a Celebration!

I am sure all of you remember that when we were in school, we had many times gone for class trips or picnics with our class. If you remember well, the best time spent during the trip was during the journey to the picnic spot and the return. The best time was when we were in the bus. We spent the time singing and dancing, eating, looking out of the window enjoying the scenery around. The journey to the spot and return was the best time. You know why? Because we were free in the bus. We did not have to think about whether we were going in the right direction. We were safe inside the bus. We knew that we would reach out destination in time. The traffic on the road did not bother us. Out parents were not there to scold us or warn us – tell us not to do this and that. All we had was free time. We had free time to do whatever we want – sing, dance, enjoy, listen to music, shout out loud – no matter what we do, we would reach our destination.

Life is like this. We are being driven in a bus to our destination. There is no chance that we can be driven in the wrong direction. All we have is free time to dance, enjoy and sing.

If you look closely, things are happening. We have always tried to know, but we never knew the results. We never knew what would happen.  Things just happened! No matter what goals or objectives we had, things happened on their own. The happening or non-happening of the events has brought us where we are today. A small happening or non-happening changes the course of our lives. Small things like a little delay, in any event, changes a lot in our lives but we are unaware.

Few years before the marriage of my parents they never knew that they are going to be married to each other. Before my birth, they did not know that I would be born. They of course knew that a baby will be born, but they did not know that it would be me. Neither did I know that I am going to be born nor did I not know that I would be born to my parents. My birth was not in my control. To me and also to my parents it just happened. Had I been born to some Industrialist or politician, the course of my life would have been different and had I been born to a not so well to do family, the course of my life would have been different.  To me it was a matter of chance, but it may not be so to Existence or GOD. God or Existence or creation must have had some plan.

I went to a particular school and the friends I made while in school would not have been my friends if I did not go to that particular school.  My friends influenced my life to some extent. We all influence each other in one way or the other. I lost two years after my school due to illness. I was two years behind my peers. God knows what would have happened if I did not lose these two years. I fell ill, and it changed the course of my life. I did not want to fall ill, but I fell. I did not want to lose two years, but it happened. Every small and big event is changing the course of our lives. And all of these events are beyond our control. They just happen. We do not know why they happen but they just happen. We are moving. But the directions in which we move are not in our control. It is as if we are being automatically pulled but one event after another and we are moving.  I went to college, even there the friends I made, would not have been my friends if I did not go to that college. Even the computer that I am using not while writing this blog, has come to me without my control. It has just come to me. At least I believe so.

The goals that we have in life, does not matter at all, because whatever happens, it is beyond our control. If things would have been in our control, then there would have been no failures. We all would have become utterly successful in all our endeavours.  But it is not the case. We have suffered failures, and each failure has changed the course of our lives. I wanted to study Aerospace Engineering at Caltech and work in the NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but today Caltech does not appear even in my dreams, because the course of my life changed the day my application was rejected. The day my application was rejected, I did something else and that has made me what I am today. Every event changes the course of our lives and we do not know what will happen. The future is totally unknown. It is definitely not in our control. We are just being dragged from one place to another automatically. We are drifting at every point in our lives, we know it or not.

This way we all are moving. The course of our lives is not in our hands. This is the case with all of us. For every one of us the course of our lives is not in our hands.  So I have no reason to laugh at someone else’s failure or be jealous of someone else’s success. The person who is a failure is not responsible for his failure or the person who is a success has no reason to be proud or take credit for his success. The same is applicable to me as well.

We are moving being a part of the law and it is almost impossible to get out of this motion. We are entangled the moment we are born. Only a man with a gigantic will, like Buddha, would have done that. Others are drifting along.

The situation is like that of a bus, where the driver of the bus is existence or God. He is driving us all. All of us are in the same bus. We have made our own worlds in this bus, we have made or goals in this bus and all our happiness and sorrows are in this bus only. But no matter what we do, we are in this bus and are being taken towards the right direction.

We do not have any responsibility of driving the bus. But we have forgotten that the bus is being driven by God, we think that we are driving the bus and we strive and toil to drive the bus in the direction in which we want it to go. But it does not happen. It is driven by a force much more powerful that what we are. It is driven by existence or creation. This has to be remembered.

No matter how much you try to stop the bus or change the direction according to your wish, it travels on its own. It changes direction on its own. No matter what you do, you are moving with the bus in the direction in which the bus wants you to go. It is utter foolishness to change the direction of the bus according our wish or stop the bus. The bus will never stop. It will move taking you along with it.

When we are being driven by existence, we must have complete trust in existence. It is the same driver that is driving everything in this universe. It is the same driver that is driving the planets around the sun. We are being driven towards the goal and we should not bother about reaching the goal, because we will reach no matter what.

We are moving in the direction of the goal, without any effort we are moving in the direction of the goal. We need not put any effort to reach the goal – it would be utter foolishness.

Rather

• Have trust in the driver of the Bus and know that He is driving us in the correct direction. There is no option to go wrong. He is utterly correct
• We should start enjoying the journey, look out of the window and enjoy the scenery around.
• We should start rejoicing and celebrating that we are in the right direction always and all the time.
• We are in a bus, which is being driven by God – we should not bother about where he is taking us, he is invariably taking us in the right direction –
• Thinking this all our burden is relieved – the responsibility drops from our shoulders – and we feel free completely. We can enjoy our journey.
• We are free that we are not driving the bus; it is not our responsibility to drive the bus. You may go in the wrong direction, but he will not. There is no chance of going wrong.
• It is up to us how we would spend this time – by crying or by rejoicing and celebrating
• Even if we are crying, it does not make any difference, because even if you are crying you are crying in the bus and the bus is being taken in the right direction. You are just passing your time by crying.
• Understand that no matter what you do, you are in the right direction, you are being driven by God, there is no responsibility of yours in taking yourself along, and you are BEING taken.
• No matter what you do – laugh, cry, celebrate, work, compete with each other – everything you are doing in the bus and you are just passing your time while you are travelling.
• Just leave the steering wheel and let God drive – he will change lanes and take turn exactly in the right places – we need not bother at all – just pass your time with whatever you want to do. The choice is yours because the responsibility is not yours.
• While being driven – we should enjoy the journey – enjoy our freedom just like the way we enjoy when we go for a picnic with friends – when we do not drive and we just enjoy the journey singing and dancing all along the way.
• Everyone of us, no matter what we do, is being taken the right direction – even when he is crying or laughing or is under great depression – he is moving towards the goal and being driven by GOD or existence.
• In the bus, happiness and sadness does not matter at all – it does not make a difference because we are moving – though we are crying or laughing – we are moving
• Whole life is just a “time-pass” because you do not have the burden of carrying yourself along. You have loads of time. Do whatever you want – celebrate.

SINCE WE ARE BEING DRIVEN BY GOD, WE SHOULD DO NOTHING BUT JUST ENJOY. THE BURDEN IS HIS. WE HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN CRYRING AND REJOICING – THESE TWO DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE SHOULD JUST ENJOY AND GIVE UP ALL RESPONSIBILITY. HE WILL TAKE CARE.

Whenever I travel by train alone – I really enjoy, there may be trouble the moment I get off, I might have a serious meeting or serious work, but during the journey, till the time I am in the train, till the time I do not get off, I enjoy. Here we never have to get off. So whole life is just rejoicing and doing things we want. Whatever we do, it does not make a difference.

• Have goals, but know that this goal is yours and NOT THAT OF GOD. While in the journey, you can have goals but the direction of travel will be decided by the Driver (GOD)– this is temporary – Your goals are just a “time pass” while in the bus – just a game you are playing for passing time and nothing else – know that we are automatically being driven to the GOAL OF EXISTENCE.
• No achievement will make you happy as long as your goal does not match with the goal of the Driver (GOD)  – Go wherever he takes you – be in God’s Bus and just enjoy – know that you are already being taken to the goal and you are in the right direction  – everything is just a play – just rejoicing and celebrating
• If you are too much with your personal goals, you are bound to lose, because you are being driven by someone else, who has HIS own plans
• Know that all goals are time pass are just for fun – this is similar to the things that you do when you are going to a picnic with friends.
• What you do to others and what others do to you – do not make a difference – it is all the same – all games and play – games played during the journey –
• Understand that life is taking you and it will take you no matter what you do – he has brought you here and he will also take you wherever it has to take you – do not fear – have trust.
• Whether you do or you are forced to do – nothing will be good or bad – Both are games – Plays – and nothing more.

JUST CELEBRATE AND REJOICE – HE IS HOLDING YOUR HAND – DO NOT FEAR

Conflict Is Inevitable

(The Picture above shows Lord Krishna Blowing the Conch as a gesture accepting conflict which is inevitable. It was when the their opponent blew the conch indicating the start of the battle, the Lord also blew his conch showing that he also accepts the challenge of the war)

We all are waiting for the day when all our problems will vanish forever and we will live happily ever after. We all are waiting for the day when we will relax and enjoy our life. We all are waiting for this day. All our work, our tensions and our hurry are because this day is not coming soon enough. We keep questioning why this day does not come. We tend to put an end to our problems as soon as possible and relax and enjoy. We are not happy till all our problems are over. We want to earn money quickly, we want have a car, buy a house, get married, have children and reach the day when there will be no problems.

Objective of an ignorant man is to be secure so that he can relax, enjoy and have fun. The goal of an ignorant man is happiness. The Goal of an ignorant man is to have a life without problems and conflict.

The man of knowledge knows that conflict is inevitable. Conflict gives rise to problems and tensions. A man of knowledge knows that life without problems and conflict is asking for the impossible. The day when all our problems will vanish will never come. It is for sure.

Your presence if this world is a conflict for all other people in this world. Not only for the people but for entire existence you are a conflict.

• The moment you were born your parents were happy but for you they struggle. Their entire struggle is for you. Just think about it. Your mother and father will worry about you even when you have grown up. You are making them worry, you are making them struggle.
• When you go to school your teacher has to struggle to teach you. Had you not been there at all, she would have been correcting one number less answer sheets. You have increased their work.
• Because you are in school, there is more competition among students. You have increased the competition.
• If you stand first in class, then you have already taken the place of the guy who was standing first in class. You made him struggle.
• When in any competition, you being a participant increase the competition. Make all other competitors struggle more. You stand on their way, knowingly or unknowingly.
• When in college, you take up the seat of another guy and make him struggle.
• While appearing for a job interview, you take away someone else’s job. You make the other person struggle.
• You eat so you kill animals or plants for your food. You make them struggle.
• You breathe and reduce the oxygen in the atmosphere
• You walk on the road, you kill so many insects
• You drive, create pollution and so many people fall sick and get killed.
• You have to maintain your body, you are creating s struggle for yourself as well.
• When you get married, you are creating a struggle for your spouse; he or she has to care for you and be a wife or a husband and carry out the responsibility. You create struggle for your spouse as well. Both of you are blocking the flow of life for each other.

There is conflict even if you do not want it to be there. There is conflict and struggle from the time you were born. You were born into conflict. It cannot be avoided. In one way or the other, you want or you don’t, you are standing on the way of someone else. As long as you are on this earth, you are standing as a block on someone else’s way.  And when you stand on the path of someone or something, it is bound to create conflict. They are bound to revolt and create problems for you. At every moment they will attempt to throw you out of their path. They feel that if they throw you out, their life will be smooth, but they do not know that it is not possible because they being a part of this universe are also standing on the way of someone or something and are creating problems and conflicts for them. They are also bound to create conflict. Each and every person, no matter whoever he is – is creating conflict with existence. This is the truth. This needs to be accepted.

Now since you are standing on their way, they are creating problems for you. They want to throw you out. Not only other humans but entire existence wants you to vanish forever. You are a block in the flow of life. You are like a wall standing on the way of life. This is bound to happen. The whole existence will be creating problems for you as long as you are a part of this universe because you are creating problems and blocks for existence.

But we try to find peace in this world. We try to find happiness. We want to relax. We want enjoyment. We all are waiting for the day when all our problems will vanish forever and we can do whatever we want. We are so much mistaken. The entire struggle for happiness is not possible as long as you form a part of existence. We all are misdirected. We can only find complete peace when we are not in this universe. We can find peace the day we are enlightened. Not before that. So the entire struggle for happiness and relaxation is futile. One can never find happiness till the time he is enlightened, because conflict is an inevitable part of existence. Everyone and everything are struggling for peace. Yes – struggle has to be there, but it has to be in the right direction. The struggle has to be for the achievement of Nirvana and not happiness and pleasure. Happiness and pleasure is not possible.

There are two ways out of this conflict. The two ways are diametrically opposite but they lead to the same goal.

• You become a “nobody”. You stand on the way of none. You facilitate the work of others and not form a block on their way. You do not form a block in the flow of existence. You leave everything and become a recluse. You form a burden on no one. By the time you are reading this, you are already entangled in this world. You are as if tied by many ropes with people and things and now it will require huge effort and a Gigantic Will power to break all the ropes and leave the world and be a recluse. In the process of breaking the connections, you will create various conflicts with all the people who are connected with you. You have a family; you have a wife, children, and parents. There is loads of responsibility on your shoulders. Being a recluse and to reach a state where there is no conflict will create loads of conflict and struggle. So we see that conflict cannot be ruled out. Even in the process of being a recluse, conflict is bound to be there. There is no escape. Even in this method, there will be conflict till the time you reach nirvana or complete enlightenment. Also remember that enlightenment is bound to happen. Today or tomorrow it will happen.

 

• The second method is ACCPETING THE CONFLICT.  Since you know that conflict is inevitable even if you want to be a recluse and leave the world, the only way is to be a part of the conflict. Accept the conflict, accept the trouble and struggle, accept that there is misery, and accept that there is no happiness or relaxation. Accept that there is no enjoyment and fun. Accept that there is no end to problems till the time you attain enlightenment. Understand that even if you die, you will again be born and be a part of this ever existing conflict. Accept that there is no escape.

The trouble is there because we do not accept the fact that conflict is inevitable. It is bound to be there, whether you are a recluse or whether you take part in the activities of the world.

This is the message of the Bhagawad Gita. This is want Lord Krishna says. Arjuna was afraid of the Battle. He was looking for peace and did not want to kill is relatives. He wanted to escape and become a recluse. But the Lord told him, that even if you escape, the conflict is bound to be there, so is better that you accept this fact and take part in this conflict. You take part is this world. Be a part of this world and take part in the battle.

If you see the picture above you will see that the Lord is blowing the conch. This blowing of the conch is a gesture of acceptance. The other side blew the conch first and in reply, the lord also blew the conch accepting the challenge. The lord convinced Arjuna that conflict is inevitable – and so he should take part in the war and do his duty.

So you accept the challenge and take active part in the activities of this world. The following points are some points for understanding that will help you walk the path accepting the conflict which is inevitable.

• Understand that relaxation will never happen. You will not be able to relax as long as you are a block to others which you invariably are. Never think to one day relax. Think of being on your toes all the time.
• You think that you would relax when all your problems are gone forever. Your problems will never go forever till the time you are a conflict and a block on the way of others. Never think that your problems will go and never try to put all your problems to an end at once so that you can relax and be happy. This is asking for the impossible.
• Live your life as if there is no relaxation and happiness – just work and then relaxation happens on its own. But if you are not hankering for relaxation and are always working, you will slowly notice a subtle relaxation slowly growing from within. Even amidst tremendous activity, you will be able to find subtle relaxation from within. This relaxation is should be the goal and this will happen.
• Understand that relaxation cannot happen easily. Most of us cannot relax. To work is easy for us than relaxation. You must have noticed that we cannot even sit quietly for a little time. We are always in motion. Working is easier, so we should start with work, which is easy and end in relaxation. We should start with what is easy.
• Understand that we want happiness, we want relaxation and in the pursuit of happiness, enjoyment and relaxation, we get nothing but only tension. This is because happiness and enjoyment are not possible as long as we are a part of the conflict and we are invariably a part of the never ending conflict.
• Have you noticed that we working so hard? What for?  – Because we want to relax and be happy one day. We all are waiting for the day when all our problems will be gone forever. We are in a hurry because we want that day to come fast enough. And that day never comes; this gives us a lot of tension.
• So Live as if there is no happiness, enjoyment and relaxation. One day amidst tremendous activity, tension and frustration, relaxation and joy will grow from within. This will be our real achievement.
• We all have one goal that is to be happy one day. To have enough money one day and no problems. This is the greatest folly. Our only goal should be to accept the struggle and conflict. We wait for the day, when there will be no problems and worries. This waiting is the cause of all our misfortune. This is not the truth. Happiness is not our goal. It will never happen. This waiting strains us. All our hurry and work is to reach the day as quickly as possible. But his is not possible.
• Can you force yourself to sleep? NO. Similarly you cannot force yourself to be happy or relax forever. Happiness and relaxation can only happen from within when you immerse yourself in tremendous activity accepting the challenge and facing the conflict.
• Understand that no relaxation and no happiness is the normal state. When you are unhappy or you are not able to relax, know that this is the right thing. Know that you are in the right path.
• The day we wait for, the day of happiness and relaxation and enjoyment comes and goes away in no time. It is again the same thing. It is again the same rush. All days of happiness, if it is not from within will pass away even before you know. So do not wait for them.
• From Monday onwards, we wait for the weekend so that we can relax, but the weekend passes in a blink of an eye, and even before we know it has arrived, it is already passed. So do not wait for the day of happiness, it will pass.
• We all are waiting for results of our actions. We wait because we are waiting for happiness. This is the folly. Because this day will never come. Even if it comes, it will go away in no time. We all are always waiting for something to happen; some miracle to happen that will make us happy. This waiting strains us. Do not wait for results of your actions.
• If you are not waiting for results, if you are not waiting for happiness, enjoyment and relaxation, then the results, whether positive or negative will not matter. So delete the word relaxation from your dictionary and work all day and night and never bother about the results.
• When you do not bother for the results it means that you are not waiting for happiness. This way you become a real karma yogi. You hanker for results because you want to be happy. If your goal is not to be happy, you are not bothered about results. If for you – Unhappiness is OK, then you are not bothered about results.
• Understand that for a karma yogi, the actions and results do not clash; they are on two different levels. On one level a karma yogi acts and in another level things keep happening. They do not mutually interfere.
• When you are unhappy tell yourself that this is the normal state and when you have no time to relax and enjoy, tell yourself that you do not want to relax.
• Start working and give yourself such a momentum and never stop till the two levels of action and results become separate and eventually the lower layer vanish.
• Pick up a goal and do not stop. Do not care about happiness, relaxation. Do not think that the actions that you are doing will do you any good. Do not think that the results of your actions will bring you happiness.
• Let all other things, including all your problems be in one plane and you actions in another plane interfered by none.
• When in a problem, do not wait for the day when you will relax when your problem is done away with. But work to solve the problem.
• Whenever you think about happiness and enjoyment, tell yourself that you are not looking for happiness, enjoyment and relaxation. Know that these things are not possible.
• Your work momentum should be such that it can crush the block of your emotions. So start working and develop a momentum that can crush everything that comes on the way.
• Understand that a momentum of work has to be developed and one has to rise to a level of action, where nothing interferes. Such a person, who stays in the level of pure action, is devoid of problems.

The Idea is to accept the fact that there is struggle, there is conflict and there is no relaxation, enjoyment and happiness. And you being a part of this world will have to take part in the struggle. This way a subtle peace and relaxation will grow from within. This peace that grows from within will be permanent and will never go no matter what you do. This way you will become a perfect Karma Yogi.