Night-time Chat with Bharat Uncle
AHMEDABAD -
So, last night, I was sitting and chatting with Bharat Uncle. It’s really nice to have this home here, and be able to talk to Bharat Uncle whenever returning from wherever I’ve been! I basically have this house in Ahmedabad, Harsh’s house in Delhi, and Pawan-ji’s place in Mussoorie… three places that I’m wonderfully comfortable in, and they are also comfortable having me there (at least so I think). Of course, the thing that bothers me is that at each of these places… I am able to do very little work. Although, I at least try to take care of my own stuff…
Anyways, so I was telling Bharat-Uncle a little about jeevan vidya… We were talking about one of the bottom-lines of modern economics, of capitalism, of competition… resources are limited and needs are unlimited. From this statement, all kinds of decisions are made, conclusions are reached, etc. From this statement, competition is inevitable. “Have’s” and “have not’s” are inevitable. Basically, human beings will never be satisfied.
However, if one looks at the reality of our needs… our physical needs ARE limited, and resources are in plenty, while our mental/psychological/emotional needs are unquantifiable and continuous. Gandhi-ji said it as, “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed”. And, he also said, “Live simply, so others may simply live.”
However, today… that extra pair of shoes is a necessity… having food that satisfies not only our nutrional needs but our taste buds is also a necessity. Having a 4 bedroom, two-storey house is also a necessity. Why is this so???
When I look at my needs.. I see that there are physical needs.. but there are also mental / emotional / psychological needs. I need respect, I need love, I need trust. I need this reciprocally… meaning I need to love others, and I need to be loved. That is a state of harmony that I enjoy being in. Basically, I need relationships, and I need knowledge… wisdom…. understanding.
Now, when I try to fulfill these needs for respect, for trust, for attention, etc… through physical means (clothing, make-up, big house, money, etc.), then my needs become unlimited. This is a double-edged sword. Because, 1) My needs will never be satisfied, because these mental/emotional needs are continuous and are wanted at every moment. These physical things may get me something close to respect temporarily, but it will never last. 2) I will always need something new, something better, something at the cutting edge. Therefore, I will continuously have to ‘earn’ money to buy these things. I will continuously have to overconsume, and whenever I am overconsuming, it means another is underconsuming. 3) My need for continuous, complete happiness cannot be satisfied by temporary spikes in pleasure. On the contrary, these temporary spikes, only cause more conflict and cloud my understanding. However, until I understand what it means to live harmoniously and happily, these temporary spikes in pleasure may be inevitable.
There are desires that come up as a result of pleasure to my 5 senses. I see chocolate, and I want it because I know it’s going to taste good. Yummy! And there are desires that come out of my Understanding, my knowledge, my wisdom (depending on what word you would like to use.) I understand that for me to best utilize my body, healthy food is necessary… and I see my body as an instrument to carry out the program for a happy and harmonious life. It is my tool… and I see the importance of it.. its true value. Therefore, I desire food that is healthy and nutritious (this does mean it can’t taste good).
As long as I don’t have that right understanding, as long as our desires continue to come from a result of the 5 senses… then, we will continue to be in a ‘reactive’ mode, instead of a mode of ‘action’.
When I look at my physical needs… they are not needed at every moment, but are needed occasionally and in limited quantity. I need food 3 times per day, and only a certain amount. I only need a certain number of pairs of clothing. I only need a certain amount of space to live, and even that, I only need it to protect me from the weather and the elements, and don’t need it all the time.
So, if the economic ‘bottom-line’ is changed to – Needs are limited, and resources are in abundance – how does this change things? Competition is no longer needed. Cooperation is a reality. Even in India today, enough food is produced to feed the entire population, but why doesn’t it reach them? Distribution? Is this a problem… because there isn’t enough competition? Or because there isn’t enough cooperation?
Anyways, so I was talking with Bharat Uncle. I also talked about the idea of an educational centre in India… myself, some other youth, pawan-ji, etc.. were talking about it… where this exploration and understanding of oneself and reality is started at a young age….Where the subjects are taught, but they are not separate and it is seen where they fit into the bigger picture. So a generation is brought up that has this understanding, and doesn’t have to try to break old conditionings and then come to this understanding.
Bharat Uncle.. said that the masses will always try to become happy through the senses… they will always run after the temporary spikes in pleasure. He said that this Understanding is for the individual, not for the masses.
I replied, ‘But isn’t the mass just a collection of individuals?”
He said, ‘Yes, in theory, the masses can change, but in reality.. they are a flow. Like a flowing river. Only a small percentage will be able to flow against the stream. The rest will not be able to make the U-turn. One Gandhi-ji is possible. And him having followers is possible. But 1,000,000 Gandhiji’s are not possible.’
I replied, ‘If we can have children start exploring themselves and what truly will bring them long-lasting happiness and harmony… if they are educated in this way to be responsible… then, isn’t it possible that they won’t get caught in this flow to begin with?”
He said, “The only thing one can do is change oneself… and live their life accordingly. One should never expect the masses to be with them. One should be ready to swim alone upstream against the flow. If you are able to share and people learn from you, then that’s great, that’s an extra. But, all you can work on is changing yourself and living accordingly.”
I still think that if there are enough individuals swimming against the flow…. that they can change the direction of the flow of the river altogether. Actually, I don’t agree with the flow analogy… because the flow has some type of fatalistic tinge to it, because rivers only flow one way. But, society, people… they are going a certain direction because of their collective consciousness. It is nothing outside of them. They have the power to change the direction that they are going. Each individual decides which direction he/she wants to go. Water in a river does not have that power… the river flows in only one direction. Human beings have the free will to act and imagine and to change the flow in whatsoever direction they want… and when we truly realize what this power means… then, maybe, we’ll start realizing what freedom means (I’m going to assume that it’s very very different than what Mr. Bush means by freedom.)
So, last night, I was sitting and chatting with Bharat Uncle. It’s really nice to have this home here, and be able to talk to Bharat Uncle whenever returning from wherever I’ve been! I basically have this house in Ahmedabad, Harsh’s house in Delhi, and Pawan-ji’s place in Mussoorie… three places that I’m wonderfully comfortable in, and they are also comfortable having me there (at least so I think). Of course, the thing that bothers me is that at each of these places… I am able to do very little work. Although, I at least try to take care of my own stuff…
Anyways, so I was telling Bharat-Uncle a little about jeevan vidya… We were talking about one of the bottom-lines of modern economics, of capitalism, of competition… resources are limited and needs are unlimited. From this statement, all kinds of decisions are made, conclusions are reached, etc. From this statement, competition is inevitable. “Have’s” and “have not’s” are inevitable. Basically, human beings will never be satisfied.
However, if one looks at the reality of our needs… our physical needs ARE limited, and resources are in plenty, while our mental/psychological/emotional needs are unquantifiable and continuous. Gandhi-ji said it as, “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not everyone’s greed”. And, he also said, “Live simply, so others may simply live.”
However, today… that extra pair of shoes is a necessity… having food that satisfies not only our nutrional needs but our taste buds is also a necessity. Having a 4 bedroom, two-storey house is also a necessity. Why is this so???
When I look at my needs.. I see that there are physical needs.. but there are also mental / emotional / psychological needs. I need respect, I need love, I need trust. I need this reciprocally… meaning I need to love others, and I need to be loved. That is a state of harmony that I enjoy being in. Basically, I need relationships, and I need knowledge… wisdom…. understanding.
Now, when I try to fulfill these needs for respect, for trust, for attention, etc… through physical means (clothing, make-up, big house, money, etc.), then my needs become unlimited. This is a double-edged sword. Because, 1) My needs will never be satisfied, because these mental/emotional needs are continuous and are wanted at every moment. These physical things may get me something close to respect temporarily, but it will never last. 2) I will always need something new, something better, something at the cutting edge. Therefore, I will continuously have to ‘earn’ money to buy these things. I will continuously have to overconsume, and whenever I am overconsuming, it means another is underconsuming. 3) My need for continuous, complete happiness cannot be satisfied by temporary spikes in pleasure. On the contrary, these temporary spikes, only cause more conflict and cloud my understanding. However, until I understand what it means to live harmoniously and happily, these temporary spikes in pleasure may be inevitable.
There are desires that come up as a result of pleasure to my 5 senses. I see chocolate, and I want it because I know it’s going to taste good. Yummy! And there are desires that come out of my Understanding, my knowledge, my wisdom (depending on what word you would like to use.) I understand that for me to best utilize my body, healthy food is necessary… and I see my body as an instrument to carry out the program for a happy and harmonious life. It is my tool… and I see the importance of it.. its true value. Therefore, I desire food that is healthy and nutritious (this does mean it can’t taste good).
As long as I don’t have that right understanding, as long as our desires continue to come from a result of the 5 senses… then, we will continue to be in a ‘reactive’ mode, instead of a mode of ‘action’.
When I look at my physical needs… they are not needed at every moment, but are needed occasionally and in limited quantity. I need food 3 times per day, and only a certain amount. I only need a certain number of pairs of clothing. I only need a certain amount of space to live, and even that, I only need it to protect me from the weather and the elements, and don’t need it all the time.
So, if the economic ‘bottom-line’ is changed to – Needs are limited, and resources are in abundance – how does this change things? Competition is no longer needed. Cooperation is a reality. Even in India today, enough food is produced to feed the entire population, but why doesn’t it reach them? Distribution? Is this a problem… because there isn’t enough competition? Or because there isn’t enough cooperation?
Anyways, so I was talking with Bharat Uncle. I also talked about the idea of an educational centre in India… myself, some other youth, pawan-ji, etc.. were talking about it… where this exploration and understanding of oneself and reality is started at a young age….Where the subjects are taught, but they are not separate and it is seen where they fit into the bigger picture. So a generation is brought up that has this understanding, and doesn’t have to try to break old conditionings and then come to this understanding.
Bharat Uncle.. said that the masses will always try to become happy through the senses… they will always run after the temporary spikes in pleasure. He said that this Understanding is for the individual, not for the masses.
I replied, ‘But isn’t the mass just a collection of individuals?”
He said, ‘Yes, in theory, the masses can change, but in reality.. they are a flow. Like a flowing river. Only a small percentage will be able to flow against the stream. The rest will not be able to make the U-turn. One Gandhi-ji is possible. And him having followers is possible. But 1,000,000 Gandhiji’s are not possible.’
I replied, ‘If we can have children start exploring themselves and what truly will bring them long-lasting happiness and harmony… if they are educated in this way to be responsible… then, isn’t it possible that they won’t get caught in this flow to begin with?”
He said, “The only thing one can do is change oneself… and live their life accordingly. One should never expect the masses to be with them. One should be ready to swim alone upstream against the flow. If you are able to share and people learn from you, then that’s great, that’s an extra. But, all you can work on is changing yourself and living accordingly.”
I still think that if there are enough individuals swimming against the flow…. that they can change the direction of the flow of the river altogether. Actually, I don’t agree with the flow analogy… because the flow has some type of fatalistic tinge to it, because rivers only flow one way. But, society, people… they are going a certain direction because of their collective consciousness. It is nothing outside of them. They have the power to change the direction that they are going. Each individual decides which direction he/she wants to go. Water in a river does not have that power… the river flows in only one direction. Human beings have the free will to act and imagine and to change the flow in whatsoever direction they want… and when we truly realize what this power means… then, maybe, we’ll start realizing what freedom means (I’m going to assume that it’s very very different than what Mr. Bush means by freedom.)
posted by Raj Kanani | 4:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home