We 'create' UNHAPPINESS for us all the time
The stance of my posts in this blog has been that the basic human condition for almost all of us is that of a lingering dissatisfaction, emptiness, meaninglessness, despair, depression and anxiety at the very core. We may successfully deflect our attention from this condition and deny it, but that is the truth. Many of you may be wondering, why the basic human condition is so unhappy. Other living forms that we see around us, notably animals that are close to human beings, like dogs and cats, do not appear fundamentally unhappy. Why are human beings mostly stuck at the level of FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS? From where did so much unhappiness arise? Was this intended to be the natural state of human existence? This appears to be at odds with most natural phenomenona, which tend to be more self healing in nature.
The reason for this is also part of our human existence. Like many animals, we humans too have emotions. Although it may look so, but our deep inner unhappiness is NOT AN EMOTIONAL MANIFESTATION. It is a manifestation of spirit. But, why are we so disturbed, at the level of spirit?
We humans are endowed with a computer like brain. We are far too intelligent compared to other life forms, even those closest to us. With our brains, we can strategize, plan, scheme, plot, forecast, project, be philanthropic or take revenge, wage war and do a number of similar things. Our mind is an extraordinary tool available to us. We have the power to either create wonderful things that have benefited mankind, or we can cause untold misery to fellow human beings.
Unfortunately, due to the very computer like nature of our brain, we have become the mind. We human beings are too mind identified. The combination with our ego, makes the mind even more devastating. This mind-ego combination has taken a stranglehold of the collective human existence.
We think we are very smart, and can cause pain and misery only to others. But whenever we do that, we accumulate some pain in our spirits. It keeps adding up. This pain builds up not only when we commit ghastly acts to shame or blame others, or when we knowingly inflict pain on others, it accumulates every time that we do small things that are prompted by this mind-ego combination.
Take the example of jealousy, a common phenomenon among us, humans. We rarely admit that we are jealous; we keep hiding it from others, especially from the person we are jealous of, and make a mess of it. Jealousy peeps out from our beings - it is visible to most people. What is worse is that we keep burning from within. Imagine the pain we are causing to ourselves. What causes jealousy? The same mind-ego combination.
Every time we indulge in even a bit of jealousy, we create some pain for us. We do not realize it. Small doses of such pain keep accumulating in our system. Every time we scheme or plot unfairly against somebody, we similarly act from the mind-ego combination. The entire humanity has been doing it for thousands of years. The result is the accumulated pain in the entire human consciousness, which is reflected as the collective human suffering.
You will find many such examples from our daily life - seemingly insignificant acts that spring from our ego. I have given more examples in my book, "ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?". We keep creating pain for ourselves through such acts. I have also described how we can, at least, recognize and notice such acts prompted by the mind-ego combination. Even admitting to yourself that you have been jealous or mean or petty creates that space between you and the mind, and the ego gets humbled a bit. That could be the start of a wonderful journey.
Keep reading.
Cheers!
Deepak Chatterjee
chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
www.facebook/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C
Views are personal
Every time we indulge in even a bit of jealousy, we create some pain for us. We do not realize it. Small doses of such pain keep accumulating in our system. Every time we scheme or plot unfairly against somebody, we similarly act from the mind-ego combination. The entire humanity has been doing it for thousands of years. The result is the accumulated pain in the entire human consciousness, which is reflected as the collective human suffering.
You will find many such examples from our daily life - seemingly insignificant acts that spring from our ego. I have given more examples in my book, "ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?". We keep creating pain for ourselves through such acts. I have also described how we can, at least, recognize and notice such acts prompted by the mind-ego combination. Even admitting to yourself that you have been jealous or mean or petty creates that space between you and the mind, and the ego gets humbled a bit. That could be the start of a wonderful journey.
Keep reading.
Cheers!
Deepak Chatterjee
chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com
www.facebook/deepak.chatterjee.944
@Deepak33C
Views are personal
To my previous boss and previous MD of SBI Mutual Fund Sri Deepak Chatterjee Sir, whether intentionally or not, you have simplified Lord Krishna's message in Bhagavad Gita's 1st chapter, wherein Krishna urges Arjuna to balance his subjective and objective mind for a better clarity on reality. Our present generation must thank you and read this wonderful book. I'm no professional critique, but this is my heartfelt personal review about your book Sir. Urge all my friends to read this book. Similar examples also come in the Quran and the Bible. I have not yet read the Guru Granth Sahiba, but my gut feeling is all holy books carry the same message in one of their chapters.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vinod. Keep reading :)
DeleteA very well written post. Though I have not read your book, please allow me to write a few words about happiness.We have been told about the virtues of happiness and contentment from our childhood but is unhappiness all that bad and it has only negative connotation? If man always remains happy with what he gets and in whatever condition he remains, will it be possible for him to progress and develop? Will it be proper for a student to be happy with low grades that he might have got in his school or a professional who may not be doing very well in his career? I am sure many will raise their eyebrows if I say that jealously which is an important factor in unhappiness as you have rightly mentioned helps the people to try to perform better. A writer has to occasionally edit his writing because at times he is not happy with his writing. It is the unhappiness and restlessness in Narendranath's mind that drove him to Sri Ramakrishna and what happened thereafter is history. Man's unhappiness in jungle life of prehistoric age had led to formation of society. Had man remained happy all along probably the great discoveries and inventions of science would not have taken place. Historic revolutions have taken place through the ages because of unhappiness of people. The unhappiness with the status quo motivated great social reformers and philosophers to come out with political reform, bring out new social order.order. Civilization would not have progressed without dis-satisfaction. It is the unhappiness of many people with the material world that leads them to spiritual quest.I
ReplyDeleteI hope to read your books some day.Best wishes for New Year 2014.
Suprabhat, Thaks for your comment. I will devote a subsequent post entirely on circumstantial dissatisfaction vs exitential dissatisfaction. That will clear some doubts. My book has more examples. It is good that you have brought this point. One small point I wish to make here: I have not labelled any depression (circumstatial or fundamental) as 'bad' or 'undesiarble'. It's just that we often deny it. Any dissatisfaction or unhappiness can be a portal for moving into FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. This basic joy is un-caused and arises from the spirits.
ReplyDelete