Dr. Rajesh Bhola
India
May 16, 2014
India
May 16, 2014
While
we may be living in a highly material world, we should never give up on
learning. We learn our lessons by reflecting on our experiences; they
present us with great opportunities to first understand and then
confront and overcome our obstacles. With constant learning we become
wiser. A truly wise person is a master of two worlds, the world within
and the world outside - and is not a slave of any. Such persons are
bestowed with wisdom and humility. The sagacious have a unique
perception of reality. Their character is one of spontaneity,
receptivity, a problem-centered approach, detachment, a fresh
perspective, a democratic attitude, a unique value system and a capacity
to cope. Recognising, cultivating and fostering sage-like attributes is
part of the process of human transformation. Human existence is a
metaphysical reality wherein people return to the original condition of
Nature, after resolving life's agitations, disorders and strife by
attaining personal tranquility. The intent of religions is also to help
people attain an inner state of perfection or tranquility.
When
one becomes enlightened, one's entire personality merges with Nature or
reality, and a state of perfect harmony is experienced. To become free
from negative feelings - such as fear, anxiety, insecurity and
frustration - or from inhibiting ideas or imaginations, it is necessary
for people to experience themselves without division. Such people are
also able to transcend the effects of ‘karma’. The enlightened,
self-actualised person – the sage - is detached yet compassionate,
enjoys life yet does not cling to it, is a perfectionist yet indifferent
to success or failure, is a man of honour yet avoids reaping it, does
not strive yet achieves, and has the innocence of a child yet possesses
incredible inner strength. These paradoxes are in harmony in a sage.
Sages live in close harmony with the natural rhythm and flow of life.
Their closeness to Nature is organic and spiritual. Even in the midst of
city life they remain intimately close to the instinctual and natural
in themselves, and their innate goodness guides them; they never become a
part of society's furtive scramble to reach an imaginary pinnacle. In a
milieu of envy and greed they remain, if not untouched, then at least
unstained by the destructive negative emotions around them. They give
themselves up to whatever the moment brings. In harmony with their
natural environment they live effortlessly, in the knowledge that
happiness cannot be bought or won or accomplished - for it is not a
prize, a commodity, an aim or a position. Sages relish every moment of
life there is to enjoy, and suffer with grace when their inevitable turn
arrives. They live by the principle of calmness in victory, tranquility
in defeat and serenity when confronted by the inevitability of
suffering. They do not rely on externals to provide them with spiritual
strength, for they know that dependence on external factors - such as
status, wealth, popularity, hedonism, success, knowledge and
relationships - is the reason why modern man crumples so easily in the
face of defeat, failure or loss. Sages truly understand that life
itself acquires meaning only when you satisfy your spiritual needs by
living in total harmony with the self.
Sages are men of peace, but yet carry within themselves the formidable qualities of warriors. It is not about weapons and traditional warfare. Great warriors are those who can avoid conflict and never have to be violent.
As warriors they learn the art of subduing their adversaries without
humiliating them. They also have the courage to conquer themselves. They
are able to face impossible odds and the worst adversaries with grace
and courage. However, they are not pacifists. When left with no other
option, they fight skillfully and dispassionately - but do not rejoice
in victory. Nor do they fear defeat; it does not carry the sting of
humiliation, as they do not have an ego that can be hurt. The sages do
not fall for the misconception that it is the fruit that makes the tree
good; they know that the fruit is good because the tree is good. The
sages realise that you have to start with yourself first; it is what you
are that turns a deed into something good. They are not enamoured of
being ‘men of action’, in a vain effort to prove their virtues. They
would rather be men of no influence, carefully avoiding self-centered
action, and would obey those natural, spontaneous impulses that spring
from genuine compassion. For this reason, they do not make a show of
charity. Sages shun any kind of charity that is in the service of power
and profit, and which comes to fruition in the glare of limelight. Sages are loners. ‘Ordinary’ men hate solitude, but sages embrace their aloneness, realising they are at one with the whole universe.
They are indifferent to their own popularity. They are timeless. They
live outside the collective paradigms and ideologies controlling and
manipulating society at any given time. They move in society without
becoming immersed in it. They stand aloof from the conceptually
fashionable. They do not become part of socially acceptable prejudices.
They know that everything changes…and yet nothing changes. They do not
invest their faith in man-made concepts and therefore have no faith to
lose. Sages do not first work out if something is acceptable to society…
before they act. They live spontaneous lives. They simply follow their
natural urges; and yet these urges are so virtuous, so in total harmony
with the self, that they allow them to live lives of the highest moral
and ethical order. Of course the sages will inevitably break rules or
laws - where they stand between them and compassion. The more unjust
the society they live in, the more will the sages come into conflict
with those laws.
In
a world satiated with pomposity, the sages’ ignorance of their own
virtues is their most endearing quality. In a pretentious world of
self-aggrandisement, where status rules supreme, the sages long to
remain unnoticed. In a society clamouring for public honour and fame,
they remain mainly out of sight.
A
hidden act of mercy is an act of pure compassion; it is the living
proof of the victory of the spirit over the ego - which is the essence
of an enlightened society.
Dr.
Rajesh Bhola is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working
for the cause of children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, mental
retardation and multiple disabilities for more than 25 years. He can be
contacted at rabhola@yahoo.com
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