Write

My mentor used to tell me to write. Not for the sake of other readers, but for my own sake. Because, thoughts mean something when written. They give clarity to our random thoughts. They slow them down.

And so, with so much clutter, when I chose to write a moment back, I now have very little to write. All that was going through me, now appears so unreal, and futile. There is nothing to be written. Nothing to be thought. 

Void

It is so easy to "help" people who have "helped" us in the past. It is what is called gratitude, or paying back..

But ever wondered what it takes to "help" people with whom we are in no way connected? It does take some courage to do that. And it takes a lot of self-consciousness to realise that there is oneness there, that you are not standing on a higher moral ground doing doing some charitable work by "lending a helping hand". The support we give must be from "nothingness" to "nothingness". And in such a realm, there would be oneness.

The ego will keep provoking you, to put on a fake face and say, "well, you know what, I (emphasis added) helped him/her". Seeing this ego raise, seeing it distinctly, and smiling at it, and asking it to get off your back, is what is the real challenge.

It is not a sense of humility, or indifference, but mere "nothingness". Absolute emptiness, a void.

Empty words

I have developed a pastime recently, of watching bits of movies/soap operas in mute. And so much fun it is.. I mean, I don't get the words, I deliberately try not to make sense of it.

Its so damn funny! One person says something to another, and all sorts of emotions start pouring out! Either the other person is excited, or angry, or starts weeping.

It is such a mundane thing. Technically, its just noise coming out of vocal chord with some modulations which are called words, which put together form a phrase or a sentence. We make so much meaning out of it!

I do this more often in real world too. I take a walk in the evenings and passively observe conversations as if I am deaf. Such a joy it is.

Looking at it from nature's perspective, it is so strange and funny too! Language is so so powerful. And the meaning we make out of it, well, the less said the better.

Now what you see on your screens are just some noises on a white sheet, or thats what your dog would make it out to be. But you reading it are making judgments, that its either a profound piece, or a dumb stuff, and such. What an absurdly meaningful life we live! 

How Selfless is selflessness ?

Is there any such thing called selflessness ? Wonder if the much celebrated "selflessness" is indeed selfless. People starting organisations to "help" others are said to do selfless service. But is there anything called selflessness ?

I read somewhere that every species is genetically wired to increase its chance of survival. Feeling good is said increase the chance of survival. So, the ultimate motive is always to "feel" good. Implication - There is no such thing as selflessness. 

Maslow summed it up beautifully in his prepotency of needs theory. He said that human beings have a hierarchy of needs - Physiological-->Security-->Love-->Esteem-->Self actualisation. So, most of what we do is driven by one of these needs. 

One parable that I read years ago meant that even many of the sadhakas who try to master the art of self-control for years become disappointed and unhappy if they don't find disciples. Many times, the gurus need disciples more than the the later needs the former. Is self-gratification truly selfless. 

Is the concept of selflessness itself a story that sustains an order enabling over 7 billion population of this species to cooperate? 

May be the hint is in the few who are self--less - conscious and devoid of the sense of self. May be Nishkama Karma shows us the way... 

Hello Mr/Ms N-O-C-P-H

Have been reading a little bit of both the "spiritual" and the "material" stuff off late.  Watched crashcourse series on biology. So, here are some takeaways for me -

1. Any "person" that you meet is just a mixture of Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen etc in many weird combinations. Biologists describe it in various jargons - DNA, Gene, Protein, Amino acids, carboxyl groups and such. But don't bother. Essentially, they are just saying that a few elements have got together in funny yet complex combinations. So, the next time you see someone, see them as a mixture of elements. 
2. These lumps of elements/chemicals get together and spend their lifetime on various imaginative thoughts, which aggregated is called the "mind". So, don't bother about all the sentiments- anger, love, hate, etc. They are just some chemical reactions at work. 

Life doesn't become depressing, believe me. It gets interesting when you see it this way. I am not subscribing to any nihilist or value-less position in life. But remembering it helps in a very different way. How? Well just try it out and let me know. Look at yourself, and "people" around you and see them as these lumps of chemicals and express the biochemical reaction that you undergo(I mean post a comment). 

Yours truly, 

A lump of C-N-O-H-etc..