Hari
Om
'Freedays' are the 'gather our thoughts' days;
Q&As; a general review of the week so far…
Last
week it was put forward that one must question.
Question what? Everything! It is a plain fact, however, that very often when it
comes to the deeper and more truly meaningful questions, we are at a bit of a
loss where to begin, or have concerns about asking 'the right questions', or
hold back for fear of appearing to be a fool - or even in fear of hearing
answers that we just simply do not wish to hear! With questions which can raise
an issue and provide potential for change in our lives, we often find that we
are very comfy in our current discomfort. It might be that we are lazy about
self-efforts for improving our condition. It might be that we don't consider
our current condition to be so bad after all and 'what is wrong with staying on
familiar ground?' It might be that we have a kind of 'personal agoraphobia',
not wishing to step outside and look back at ourselves, "-'cos for sure it
ain't gonna be purty…"! Oh yes, we can justify and dodge all manner of
things with surprising ease. Sometimes, folk will ask many, many questions, or
the same question rearranged into different syntax in an effort to find a basis
for staying exactly where they are or in an attempt to 'trip up' the teacher.
To
ask important questions which may help to clear our paths, even at the smallest
level, can often be beyond us, for we let the ego do the talking and not our
Higher Self, the observer within us which has remained unchanged throughout
life. You know - that voice which acts like your monitor and most of the time
you can shove to the background?!
It
will not have escaped regular readers' notice that Vedanta is more than
straight philosophy; it holds much within it which is akin to what today we
call psychology. The Rsis never called it thus. They simply refer to the
'condition of Mankind'. It has been said before and will be repeated here - there is nothing new in the world of the nature of the
human being. Those ancient sages gave down timeless analysis of our
condition and methodologies by which we can improve it. In our arrogant 'modern
times', many would seek to reinvent this ancient knowledge, packaging it in
separated brandings and marketing it to a race of beings desperate to
understand why their world is the way it is and what they can do about it. Like
modern medicine, which seeks to isolate 'active principles' and leave behind
the whole plant from which the elixir is derived and thus missing the point
that it is in the complete plant that the true essence of healing is to be
found, so it is that there are many 'consultants' ( 'guru' lookalikes) who
thrash around among the world's ancient teachings and extract what they think
will address their purpose and provide a salve for their clients' woes. Inevitably (with one or two exceptions), the
extractions prove tenuous and flimsy and there is no lasting benefit at all.
Indeed, the risk of such extractions, be it in medicine or 'self-help', is that
there are subsequent side-effects due to the lack of support which would have
been derived from the original and whole plant or philosophy.
There
are no shortcuts to enduring health and well-being or spiritual/emotional
upliftment; and there is no getting round the fact that it requires alert and
attentive effort from the individual. All the external support, in the end,
amounts to nothing if the individual makes no attempts to help themselves.
Thus,
depending on where we are in the spectrum of wishing to make change in life
such that we can better deal with its daily travails, never mind the higher
issues within society and nature, there will be something of a hierarchy of
questions. It might be said, as a very general rule, that the more questions we
have, the further we are from our spiritual selves. General, in the sense that
majority questions are likely to be directly in reference to the individual and
be of such a wide variety as to be chaotic; however, one who has progressed
along a spiritual path some way may still have many questions, but they will be
organised and focused questions pertaining to the spiritual path itself.
No
matter where we are in this moment, if we have a notion that we wish to have
answers at all - and regardless of whether we are yet ready to deal with those
answers and the possible implications for our immediate condition - we must
begin to ask our questions aloud.
The
goal of Vedanta is to finally be free and in control of our thinking. That
begins by sorting out what thought holds any value to our life and what is just
fluff and dust on the mind, causing it to clog up and even freeze from the
weight of 'thought detritus'. So much
we weigh ourselves down with and so unnecessarily!
Where and how to start decluttering our inner attic?
Take
a blank paper - or a whole exercise book - or computer screen; whatever works
for you. Do not worry at this stage about what to ask or even how to ask. The
exercise of the moment is simply to externalise the myriad questions. You are
encouraged to create categories. Health, wealth, work, creativity… do not force
yourself. Write out the questions which are foremost right now. Make no
assessment of them. There may be only one at the moment, as this is a strange
and new experience. Walk away, then. Go about your day. Note when a question
arises and add it to the page. (Not the 'what's for dinner, or should I eat
that' questions pertaining to functioning - but existential questions; 'oh
that is bothering me, why?... Why does s/he do that?...' and so on.) Best of
all are the questions which appear whilst you read the various posts here at
AV-blog. Note them all down. Every single one. Do not - repeat, do not - edit
yourself.
Keep
doing this for fourteen days.