Know Ironic Awareness

Ironic awareness means being aware of the irony and paradox of life, at the existential level as well as in matters of everyday life. This phrase originated as a term of literary criticism. In the context of spirituality, ironic awareness enables one to live life robustly, knowing well that we live in the shadow of death; to respect money, knowing fully that it can be the root of misery; to enjoy the world, despite knowing that the world is an illusion. It involves understanding the play of maya and being amused by it, rather than being overwhelmed by it, in happy as much as in unhappy events. Hypocrisy is rooted in falsehood and cunning; ironic awareness is rooted in truth and wisdom. It is different from cynicism. Oscar Wilde described a cynic as one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Ironic awareness is to know the value of everything and the price of nothing. Ironic awareness can be easily defined as the state of being able to see both sides of a coin. This, however, is only partly right. Ironic awareness is the ability to reconcile in an informed, instinctive way the opposite sides of the coin, so as to be able to see both sides in each side. This involves perceiving the essential unity even as you wonder at and enjoy the diversity. Inclusive perception comes from a habit of multidirectional, cross-directional sympathy. This is the essence of universal love. This requires a high-resolution vision — outer and the inner — functioning in sync and capable of seeing into the heart of every matter.

Source: Economic Times, 15/02/2019