Boundary conditions that helps us to Navigate life!!!
We often find ourselves at morality crossroads and not sure of which direction our next course of action should be. We all want to express our desires to its full extent and feel on top of the world. But in reality lots of circumstantial compromises had to be made in fulfilling our desires. Some of our desires, dreams gets expressed, few other wishes gets repressed or even regressed
One cold morning when we travel in a public transport, from the chillness of the cold wind that we feel through the window there arises the need to protect from the cold. The need came on its own, and we don’t have control over it. But to act on the need, we can either choose to shut the window, switch-off the fan, or cover ourselves up. These actions are well within our limit and we could make an effort to implement any of the thought process. When we try to close the window, if the co-passenger object, then the society needs are imposed on us.
The ‘need to act’ reveals on its own every moment with every change in the environment. We realize the ‘need to act’ only after it reveals on its own. All that reveals on its own is beyond our control. And all that is beyond our control cannot be corrected or reversed or even requested. What has revealed is revealed. It is up to us to use it or ignore it. The ‘Needs’ that arose are beyond our control and can be safely and broadly categorized as God’s needs. But to act on the needs are entirely up to us and well within our control. In certain situation more than one need arise for a given situation. We have choices to choose from the available needs to act on. When we choose to act, the revealed ‘God’s Need’ becomes ‘Self Need’.
God can only come up to that point of revelation. It is up to us to act. With every action, more set of revelations and choices spring up. Each action triggers cascade of revelations, choices and more actions. And they all flow like a river. A river that cleanses itself. Choices becomes intelligent choices with every action-outcome. Intelligent choices forms sediments of knowledge from where more clear revelations spring up, free from the murkiness of ignorance.
Cleansing or purification process by taking a dip in holy river is a suggestion given with a hope that we would understand ‘how our action cleanses ourselves’ by witnessing the river.
Then what is ‘Society Need’?
Once we choose to act on a ‘need to act’, the act is carried out in the society. There are several Self Needs that are acted out in the society. The act has to be carried out according to rules of the society to get a favorable results. The distinction is clear here. There are no rules for what ‘needs’ to surface up. But the rules are only for how the ‘needs’ are executed. Rules are only for Society and not for God. God can give any ‘needs’ but society can take only certain needs at certain time. Understanding Society Needs and aligning our needs, get us favorable results and we move forward. Instead if we turn towards God and request for particular ‘needs’ it does not work that way. The ‘need to act’ towards God is unwise. It is like acting on god and trying to change God. It is like ignoring what he has given already and asking for more. It is like being over smart and looking for short cuts instead of working on what is available. It is like asking the river to reverse its flow. It only ends up in repression and regression of our desires.
Society Need can be considered as an extension of Self Need.
In the above story if the co-passenger who objected to shut the window happens to be a relative or a friend, we could accommodate their needs as our needs. My son’s need, my friend’s need, my country’s need are the extensions of Self Need. We are redefining a larger scope and interpretation for ‘Self’. Similarly a soldier killing an enemy for the sake of his country as his rightful duty, is an example of extending Self Need as country’s need. Such actions are carried without remorse and hesitation and are like a line drawn on the water and the action doesn’t create a bad impression. Repression of desires or Guilt doesn’t take place as long as we don’t act on them and convert them as Self Need by thinking and worrying about it. Thinking is an action. When the ‘need to act’ actions are justified, unnecessary actions are cut down considerably.
If the co-passenger is not so friendly, and if we had to accommodate his needs out of no choice, we do so as though as God’s need.
When we see all needs as God’s need, we blur the boundaries from where the needs are revealed. Whether it is revealed within us or revealed within some one else. Revealed is revealed. We are left with only choices to make.
At times ‘not to act’ or ‘to wait’ are the choices we had to choose. When the choices are made with the awareness of our limitations and inabilities, repression and regression of our desires doesn’t happen. We don’t have to blame ourselves for the unavailable choices. Such unfavorable actions just remain as a scratch on the water. The flow takes care of such scars to disappear quickly.
