Hari
Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by
which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality
and become more congruent within our personality.
The little prasaadam pushtaka we are purusing is
'Many Problems One Solution', from Guru-ji, Swami Tejoymayananda.
CATEGORISING
THE PROBLEM
How
to approach a problem? Firstly, see the given situation objectively and assess
why it is a problem for you. At this stage we may find that the situation is
simply that, and not a problem at all. (For example, you are at work, the boss
is throwing a fit about work not done - is it my work? No. is it work with
which I have some responsibility? No. Okay, boss has a problem, I just need to
watch.) However, it if continues to present as a problem, proceed to categorise
it. Here are some possibilities;
An imaginary problem - fear of something,
negative view of one's career prospects or building up a simple cold into a
serious case of major tropical infection.
A subjective thinking problem, based on strong
dislikes, prejudices, attachments, et cetera.
IDENTIFYING
THE SOLUTION
Those
are the three basic categories and most of our every day problems - and even
some big ones - will fall into one or other of them. It requires that we have
the ability to stop and think before going into reactive mode, or blind panic.
Having paused for the long breath, as it were, we can now progress with working
out how to deal with the situation.
If
it is a factual problem, one can take an age old example;
1 sit quietly with a paper and pen
2 write down the situation under review
3 jot down all possible solutions for it
4 shortlist the most practical of these
5 run through and shortlist again - and again
if required, to not more than three, then pick the solution that is within your
capability to implement
6 then do it.
Work
on it the same way one might if planning a major journey from one end of the
country to the other! Make the problem an interesting conundrum and enjoy the
process of overcoming it. To sit and worry about it, to fret at the 'what ifs'
of a thing and come to only negative conclusions is not at all productive and
certainly misery inducing.
If
the problem falls under the imaginary category, the need to correct one's
thinking about the fear or concern is required in order to find that the
problem lay totally within ourselves. For example, we have a fear of snakes
which results in even a picture of one causing us to scream and recoil and
break out in a sweat. We live in a city where snakes have not been seen for
over a century. From where does such a fear come? Only within our own
imaginations! Phobias are as many and varied as the individuals who have them.
Nowadays, there are all sorts of behaviour therapies available to help 'correct
the thinking' and eradicate the fears… but it will still boil down to it being
the sufferer who must embrace the idea that their fear is no longer necessary
for them and that life is better without them. In short, imaginary problems
require of us to 'get real'.
If
the problem falls into the subjective category, we have to apply some deep and
meaningful thinking; we know our prejudices, likes and dislikes, attachments
are presenting as problems when it seems that we are all the time thinking
thoughts and spouting words of hate, disgust, vitriol… and when the world
starts to 'hit back'. If we have an ounce of decency within us we will start to
wonder 'oh wait, could it be me that is the problem?' Then we can begin to self
assess, start to detach ourselves from the situation and take a more objective
and whole vision. A narrow vision may be due to insufficient information,
limited thinking, personal idiosyncrasies, sheer selfishness; any number of
personality faults. Any solution which arises from a narrow vision, will be a
'narrow' solution and will not solve the problem in the holistic sense.
Anything which benefits the individual, but still leaves others in a place of
danger or harm, will prove to harmful to that same individual eventually.
What,
then, is 'right thinking'? This will be discussed next week.
