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Friday, June 29, 2012

Hidden Treasure Series-Part XIV- On Self, Peace, Serenity and Bliss


My Dear Friends-on-Mother-Earth,

Happy Friday evening to you folks.

Well, as we all strive hard to be in peace; in a world full of “races” among man’kind’, thought would be prudent to really understand the TRUTH behind Self, Peace, Serenity and Bliss , many striving hard to attain that ‘state of the brain’, using various “templates”!

Ravi: Wonderful connecting with you again. Post the visit to Anandashram in Jan’12(what they call ‘An abode to bliss’), these 6 months in almost near hibernation did made me stronger, more relaxed and at ‘peace’ with myself first. But still, maybe due to genetic disorder, that dysfunctional anger still remains and I tend to “smoke-out” especially “Atrociously  selfish” people.

Well, DO we all have to go Ashram’s to be in peace?? Let’s understand the ‘juice’ behind this ‘state of brain’ with the friendly sage we are blessed to know.

GRK: Hey, glad to walk-the-talk with you again. By the way, how’s the climate in Chennai?

Ravi: Well, there are only 3 climates in Chennai – They are hot, hotter and hottest! Our body is hot and hence our brain is also hot. No wonder you would often find verbal skirmishes for nothing!

GRK: Let’s understand the TRUTH in ‘peace’ first. ‘Peace’ is NOT merely absence of sorrow NOR absence of suffering.  A human may NOT be peaceful EVEN with all the comforts and luxuries of life. He/she may NOT be happy as well as peaceful with all the pleasures. Haven’t you noticed?

What is peace?

Ravi: Absolutely. So, what is peace THEN?

GRK: Peace is a sense of fulfillment. It is an attitude of our brain–a state of brain, nay a quality of brain. The sense of fulfillment is possible when only we have contentment-contentment of wants, desires and aspirations. Thus again, contentment is a feature of peace, which in turn is a state of brain OR a condition of brain after so many years and may be births of ‘collective consciousness’ stored in the brain.

Ravi: Well, sounds interesting. Could it be possible for us, the human beings, with the flimsy, fragile and sentimental brain-stuff, to ‘still’ the brain to attain peace? If everyone has to go Ashrams to find peace, what would happen to humanity? Disaster, gentleman as God-men and God-women would rule our lives?

GRK: Hah Ha! Not to bother. The brain is always restless and oscillating. It is nomadic and all the time; wandering and roaming, rather straying in all directions without any purpose.  Only a ‘still brain’ can experience peace; for peace needs calmness of brain and NOT a wandering brain. A calm-and-composed brain is a ‘still brain’. It is not restless and does not have many longings. It is serene and serenity is a condition of peace, nay an aspect of peace. A peaceful brain is a steadfast-brain. In other words, peace is ‘steadfastness’ (‘stilling’ the anxieties, desires, feelings). It is anchoring of the brain-NOT hovering.

Ravi: Does contentment alone sufficient to attain a peaceful state of brain?

GRK: Peace does not only require contentment but also a brain which could withstand and resist against the daily hurts and injuries of life. The brain has to insulate and immunize to all the daily agonies and sorrows, which are unavoidable part of life and it has to develop a capacity to resist against daily onslaughts on peace.

Thus, peace is an unperturbed state of both brains, rather a culmination of it. For this, human beings need an intellectual courage, an extraordinary courage to face life as it is and its daily trivialities of suffering, with an equanimity or ‘detached-attachment’.

What is Bliss?

Ravi: What is bliss, then?

GRK: When the ‘self’ forgets itself in a rapturous joy of life experience, it loses identity and merges with the experience itself as a part of communion with the cosmos, it experiences ecstasy. (A ‘self-forgetfulness”) This ecstasy itself is bliss, a thrill and an extraordinary joy. It is a highest form of peace and everlasting too. Attainability of bliss is a greatest benediction to man and mankind.

What is Self?

Ravi: ‘Self’ forgetting itself! What is ‘self’, then? Does this ‘self’ mean our name, our caste, our sex, our age and our religion?

GRK: Yes, it means all these and much more. Self means ‘i’, our identify, our self-consciousness. I am so and so, my level is this and my status is this etc. it means status and the level.

Ravi: Is ‘self’ then a divisive force?

GRK: Absolutely. ‘Self’ in other words means an image of oneself. It means attachment to certain things. It is a divisive force. It divides ‘i’ from the rest. It leads to choice making. It is subjectivity leading to angles in one’s perceptions. Thus it leads to contradictions, as self-versus others. In understanding, it colors, nay blocks our understanding. Self is ego, it is pride, it is estimating of one self, often self-conscious estimate. Thus it leads to conflict with on self, with others, the surrounding reality and with the whole nature itself. Hence, ‘self’ leads to sorrow-contradiction-conflict-agony and peacelessness. 

Ravi: So, what’s the way out for mankind?

GRK: The only way is to be aware of the self, to sublimate the self, to raise above the self, to forget the self; nay to erase the self itself. Where there is no ‘self’ there is no contradiction, no conflict and no sorrow –no colored perception and no understanding based on choice.

Ravi: Awesome learning. Easy to understand, difficult to practice as we all are conditioned to dogmas and our own doctorates! Thank you for your time. Look forward to our talks again next week.

Folks, I guess we need to understand this deeply to get the juice. Take your time and one may get the juice by reading and re-reading and pondering over it. Let’s all aim to be in bliss which GRK says is the greatest benediction of man’kind’.

Wishing you all a blissful weekend with your near and dear ones!

Kind Regards
G&W Ravi

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