What Upsets Your Peace And Harmony?
Ramesh Balsekar
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There have been moments in almost everyone's life when one has experienced the true joy of living, and calm, peace and tranquility . What disturbed such moments are usually memories of something one has done or not done or what one should have done. A load of guilt and shame, carried by the ego and relived in memory every now and then, makes one extremely uncomfortable. Or, it could be something that someone else did that affected one adversely one way or other: a load of hatred or jealousy for someone! So those rare moments of the sheer joy of Being are suddenly disturbed by thoughts of blaming oneself or someone else for something. What would the position be if one could have been absolutely convinced that no action is anyone's doing, that all actions were merely a happening that simply had to happen? That is what spiritual seeking is all about. Masters may talk about enlightenment or Self-realisation, but what does it really mean in one's daily life? It can have no meaning unless Self-realisation brings with it the peace and tranquility that the sage enjoys in his life.A sage is considered a sage because he seems to be anchored in peace and tranquility while facing the usual pains and pleasures of daily living in his chosen field of activity, like any other ordinary person. We are attracted to the sage for this very reason.
What does `Self-realisation' mean to the sage? Both the sage and the ordinary person respond to their respective names being called. In both cases, there is identification with the body and the name as an individual entity separate from all others. The sage, unlike an ordinary individual, totally accepts that every action is a happening according to a Cosmic Law and not something `done' by an individual human being. He therefore does not blame anyone for whatever happens through any body-mind organism. Hence, he is anchored in peace and harmony: he is continuously comfortable with himself and also comfortable with others.
Consciousness is the subjec tive and dynamic perceiving aspect of the static Conscious ness, while the objective aspect is the perceived, dreamed and discriminated element. In other words, the dream that is the phenomenal manifestation occurs in Consciousness. It is perceived and cognised in Cons ciousness and is interpreted by Consciousness through the duality that is the basis for all phenomenal manifestation: the subject-object relationship.
This does not mean that you do not deal with practical matters that involve the past and future. The concept of the `thinking and working mind' is a great help. The `working mind' is concerned with resolving a practical problem in the present moment. The mischievous `thinking mind' dips into the past, projects itself into future uncertainties and interrupts the smooth and efficient functioning of the `working mind' in the present moment.
To prevent this, let not the thinking mind have any sustenance. Purpose, effort, hope and belief become the inspiration but when one pursues these values, one is usually unaware of the interconnected opposites to which they are inevitably attached: hopelessness, confusion, failure, frustration.
In relying on one's personal effort, one should not forget the basic principle in every religion, “Thy Will Be Done; Inshah Allah; Thou art the Doer and Thou art the Experiencer.“
What does `Self-realisation' mean to the sage? Both the sage and the ordinary person respond to their respective names being called. In both cases, there is identification with the body and the name as an individual entity separate from all others. The sage, unlike an ordinary individual, totally accepts that every action is a happening according to a Cosmic Law and not something `done' by an individual human being. He therefore does not blame anyone for whatever happens through any body-mind organism. Hence, he is anchored in peace and harmony: he is continuously comfortable with himself and also comfortable with others.
Consciousness is the subjec tive and dynamic perceiving aspect of the static Conscious ness, while the objective aspect is the perceived, dreamed and discriminated element. In other words, the dream that is the phenomenal manifestation occurs in Consciousness. It is perceived and cognised in Cons ciousness and is interpreted by Consciousness through the duality that is the basis for all phenomenal manifestation: the subject-object relationship.
This does not mean that you do not deal with practical matters that involve the past and future. The concept of the `thinking and working mind' is a great help. The `working mind' is concerned with resolving a practical problem in the present moment. The mischievous `thinking mind' dips into the past, projects itself into future uncertainties and interrupts the smooth and efficient functioning of the `working mind' in the present moment.
To prevent this, let not the thinking mind have any sustenance. Purpose, effort, hope and belief become the inspiration but when one pursues these values, one is usually unaware of the interconnected opposites to which they are inevitably attached: hopelessness, confusion, failure, frustration.
In relying on one's personal effort, one should not forget the basic principle in every religion, “Thy Will Be Done; Inshah Allah; Thou art the Doer and Thou art the Experiencer.“
