Sunday, May 25, 2008

WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY FOR ME

Life seems to give and take things from you as a game. It enjoys the reactions we portray at each gain and loss. The ecstasy of gain and the pain of loss seem to entertain the provider.

How do we deal with this situation? The more joy a gain provides us the more we are hurt at its loss. So the simple rule of nature and logic would be to try and face each victory and failure with as little emotions as we can. But is that easy? Is it in our control to rule over our emotions? Or rather wouldn’t all those lovely emotions go waste if we did so. I guess we would be Godmen or Godwomen to be able to do that. But fortunately or unfortunately most of us are not.

I for one would not want to be one. I would want to feel and taste the elixir of joy, success, gain, and all the good things life has to give. I would want to be at the top of the world and shout from the rooftop at my good fortune. But as the age old adage goes there are more people to share your happiness with but lesser of the clan would actually be happy for you. Whereas when it comes to loosing something there would be very few who would join you in your sorrow. This being the simple reason that I would not actually want to share my joys and sorrows with others except for someone who I would be sure would feel the way I did. Who would understand my ecstasy and sorrow the way I did. Does such species of men and women actually exist? I doubt so. Or maybe I am yet to find someone who did exist and had the courage or was in a position to openly come forward. Hence I would rather enjoy or mourn on your own. These feelings are very personal in nature and it cant be diluted by sharing with someone who is insensitive to your feelings.

But we are human beings. We are born to be gregarious. We have evolved in a manner that makes it natural for us to live in a society. A society which is supposed to provide us with the security and support in our fight for survival. We would have been extinct by now if we did not stick on to each other as a society or a family. A family that is supposed to provide you with the necessary balm to ease out your pain and burst the crackers in your joy. But it does not happen this way all the time. The very people you trust or who are supposed to be your own turn out to be from some other world. Instead of providing you with the balm they would happily put salt on your wounds. And in spite of this you are supposed to hold on. That is what the standard laid down norm and rule of your society is and you are supposed to follow it. Rather you better follow it or your life is turned into a literal hell. And if you are not strong enough to face the consequences of the revolt to change the norms, and there isn’t anybody to hold your hand in support, you need to find a way out.

The very first step is to identify and weed out the issues that are complicating your life. Make things as simple as possible. Follow your conscience and try to argue with yourself whether it is worth holding on to something that is giving you more pain than joy. Look for an imaginary figure. Mould him the way you want to. Give him a face, give him a character, and give him a name. Develop faith in him. Open up to him when you need that special someone to share with you and pretend that he is listening. You let him know your pain and ask for his suggestions for overcoming it. Share with him your joy and imagine he is giving you back that sincere smile. Spend as much time as you can conversing with him in your mind. Fall in love with him and find in him your spiritual soul mate. Give the entire credit of your success and failure to him. Try looking for the positive side of every situation, and in case you do not find one in the worst circumstances then feign ignorance and let time help you out. Faith can move mountains as Gandhi said. And it is this faith that gives you the strength to face your demons.So do not mourn in solitude my dear friend there is someone to hold ur hand.........just look hard enough