Continued from Part -1
……Clueless to the source of the problems, most seek to fill them with a surrogates – through attachments to material possessions, social engagements, relationships, act of charity or simply by cultivating a superior self-image as shaped by digital facade of modern life. These surrogates momentary gratify and feed the ego, offering only fleeting moments of joy.
The mind continues its incessant chatter and thoughts keep running wild as journey thus far fails to fill the void one so earnestly hoped to resolve. Serious few shall discern the futility of these acts and turn their gaze elsewhere. Journey continues…
Turning to those around us for our problems seems viable. Seeking help from family, friends and seniors around seem a safe and reasonable approach. Nothing wrong in that. After a brief exchange of words – advice as shaped by others’ beliefs, experience, along with judgments of good and bad, right, and wrong soon follows. Somehow, more spiritual or intellectual inclined the other individual, conversations turn to a monologue pretty quickly, often reflecting glimpses and validity of their own life story. Despite society’s intentions being benevolent and originating out of concern, roots of the problems remain elusive, leaving him feeling empty once again.
For most, this is where the journey shall end— resigning themselves to the belief that a life fraught with problems is simply the norm and that a problem-free life, simply does not exist. Society and well-meaning parents shall do their job very well to reinforce this idea!
The Journey for few continues and turning towards religious or spiritual teachings shall likely happen. Practices inspired from these teachings are followed for months or years. For few, journey may expand to include reading spiritual texts, visiting sacred sites, attending retreats or ashrams, participating in prayers and chants or delving in yogic practices. These may bring some semblance of solace.
However, a serious seeker who settles for tangible results, soon discerns that religious and most spiritual practices are objective in nature, caught up in entrapment of duality. These pursuits do provide fleeting joyful experience and escape from ones mundane lives. Scrutinizing them for results is challenging as the bond of cultural beliefs is deeply ingrained, strongly supported by family and esteemed by society.
But has the source of the problems been truly accessed? Questions which can uncover the roots of the problems been reflected upon? Has one healed in the way he envisioned or merely scratched the surface of his wounds? Has he genuinely made peace with the inner demons that taint his thoughts and disturb his dreams? Has the cure many seek so desperately, not necessarily sincerely, truly been found?
Deep down, all carry an unspoken awareness of what was lost and what was gained, yet most choose to remain within the comfort of their suffering. Society, in its subtle persuasion, convinces him that this is where it all ends and no answers lie beyond the well-lit rampart of its established norms.
Those who got so far had genuine problems but were not genuine seekers. They were more invested in the process of seeking rather than arriving at a place where internal conflicts do not arise, where problems surrender.
Rare is an individual, who goes beyond the well-trodden path in pursuit of truth. The one who goes beyond all practices, methods and societal norms to access the source of his problems. Along the journey he shall surely cross paths of gurus, scared texts and spiritual practices but shall not settle there.
Anything achieved from outside, shines the outside. Journey of truth, journey to a place of genuine peace is the one within, for the answers lie nowhere else.
