FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 40 - JEALOUSY Part II: From where does it arise?

JEALOUSY Part II: From where does it arise?

Hi Friends,

Summary of past unmissable posts: please click here

My last post (Series 39: please click here to read) was on how destructive and painful jealousy can be. I had also written on ways to deal with it, and how to use it as an opportunity to move towards a life of joy.

The enthusiastic response that post has received has encouraged me to write more on the subject, especially to identify the root cause of jealousy. From where exactly does jealousy originate?

Once again, there may be a temptation to point fingers at the person we are jealous of. That person appears to be the reason for jealousy; it could be that person's popularity, success, wealth, or any silly comparison.

Let me reproduce here a section from my last post:

"By the same token, much of the suffering on account of jealousy is, really speaking, the basic human unease which too happens to be the true inner condition of human beings. We do so many things to keep this inner unease at bay. Inviting jealousy might be just another way, for it 'justifies' the inner pain by making another person the 'source' of the suffering."

Does that ring a bell? Regular readers of this blog will understand. To rewind a bit...

We humans have accumulated pain in our existence for centuries. As a result, the collective human existence is that of misery and suffering - not entirely for any tangible external cause, but simply un-caused. I have given a detailed description of this inner human malaise in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? with numerous evidences drawn from art, literature, movies, as well as examples from day to day life. 

It may be difficult for us to easily accept the reality of this suffering at the level of spirit, but it is real. It often manifests as mental depression or anxiety, or plain meaninglessness, despair, tentativeness or uneasiness - a general dissatisfaction that does not result from anything external. Those who notice and acknowledge it honestly are really the fortunate ones, for they have the opportunity to move beyond it and towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. 

The vast majority do not feel this inner uneasiness. We continue our day to day lives by keeping it suppressed through many actions like staying busy, running after fame, getting into ego battles, unending greed for wealth and accumulation, non-stop entertainment... In short there is no 'pause' in life where we could possibly feel our inner malaise.

This may well continue 'successfully'. But the problem arises when we get broad hints of our innermost unhappiness, yet deny it, and look for external reasons to justify it. Blame game, playing the victim and complaining are some of the usual practices. Jealousy is just another of those tricks to fool ourselves into believing that someone else is responsible for our 'unhappiness'.

Friends, if all of us can accept this reality of human existence, this world is going to be much better and joyful.

Many external events 'trigger' our inner unhappiness and encourage it to rear its ugly head. Those external events are NOT the CAUSE for our unhappiness. They are just a trigger. The 'successfully' locked up inner condition leaks out. We are rattled but still in denial. That's when we look for 'reasons' and intelligently create them. We are so smart that we do the job very convincingly. We create hate objects. That reduces the pressure on us. In the process we lead inauthentic, artificial lives.

Amid this tentativeness, if we find another person who seems to be happier, wealthier, more successful, popular... why do we feel upset? It tickles our own inner unhappiness, which we have been dealing with almost unknowingly. So the unhappiness that we now feel 'appears' to be the result of comparison with that other person. In reality, our innate unhappiness has been provoked. It was always there, deeply tucked in.

We have the extraordinary opportunity to honestly acknowledge our inner condition and transcend it, moving towards a life of JOY. (How to do so is given in detail in my book and in many posts of this blog).  But we fall into the trap of jealousy and create a hate object. Ironically that may appear to give us some strength to deal with our unhappiness. But we have moved far away from spirit and FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. And, we solidify the unhappiness within us. We get destroyed from within.

Response to an interesting query:

My previous post evoked an interesting query: "Isn't some degree of jealousy good, for it encourages you to compete and do better in life?"

My response:

Feeling encouraged and enthused by another person is a positive sentiment. As long as the thought, "I too can do it" stems from a positive emotion where you genuinely admire the other person and feel like emulating him, is certainly welcome. There is no negativity. You do not add any pain within you. Rather, you may have discovered a good outlet for past accumulated pain.

In contrast, jealousy is an entirely negative response, steeped in unhappiness. Whenever you feel like emulating someone, honestly ask yourself: are you happy to do so? Or, are you doing so out of unhappiness?

Makes sense? Read on...

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 39 - JEALOUSY DESTROYS YOU FROM WITHIN

JEALOUSY DESTROYS YOU FROM WITHIN

Hi Friends,

Summary of earlier unmissable posts: click here

Allow me to write this piece on what many of us have experienced in varying degrees quite often - we may have suffered its worst consequences, but have brushed it aside: the green-eyed monster, jealousy!

Everyone will agree that jealousy is a painful experience. The person who is jealous of someone is certainly in pain. But who is responsible for this pain? The finger will most likely point towards the person we are jealous of. So that person is the perpetrator and the jealous person is the victim, right? Its a convenient argument, and may also provide some false comfort, even a shield from the pain of jealousy. Such arguments often co-exist with self-pity, yet another indulgence that gives us false comfort ! The worst situation arises when the jealous person is so angry that he might want to harm the person he is jealous of!

That's not an extraordinary reaction. Have we not heard of even murders prompted by jealousy?

Having come this far, we can agree on the following:

• Jealousy is painful.
• From jealousy arises the dislike/hate/loathing of the person one is jealous of.
• Jealousy can lead to disruptive situations, which can often be dangerous.
• The entire atmosphere (family/workplace/friends' circle) gets vitiated.
• Even persons who are not jealous often get trapped in the cross fire and suffer collateral damage.
• Jealousy is bad for everyone; so the best thing to work on is how to not get into it in the first place.

Then, what is the cure? How to quickly get out of jealousy? Better still, how to not get jealous at all? These are the basic questions we can dwell on.

The first step that you need to take is to acknowledge that you are jealous. The initial hints of jealousy need to be honestly owned up. Having acknowledged them, do not condemn yourself for being jealous. Like so many negative human reactions, this too is a very human response. But as you read on, you will realize that, much like anger, it's a stupid reaction.

All that you need for acknowledging your jealousy is some degree of authenticity (honesty) and a bit of courage. 

Why do you need courage? This is important, and you must understand it clearly. For many of us jealousy is so strong that we have made a solid brickwork around it. Worse, many of us draw our sustenance and energy from it. We have made it the reason for our existence! There are a few countries whose sole reason for existence is hatred towards another country, we humans too fall into similar traps. We create hate objects backed by the force of jealousy. And, that keeps us going!

If such a person has to honestly acknowledge that he has been jealous, imagine his plight. He has to give up something he was leaning on for a long time. He  might suddenly discover a hollowness, an emptiness, a void that can appear to be quite scary. So, you need the courage to acknowledge jealousy and face all that goes on within you after noticing it.

And, that's the next step. Having truthfully acknowledged your jealousy, just observe yourself, without any mental analysis. It is best to do this during the stillness of the night. Lie down and notice what is going on within. You may discover a fair degree of inner turmoil. You may even feel the pain of jealousy as though it were a physical pain. Just passively observe it. Do not try to attribute this uneasiness to something or someone. If you can hold onto this posture for some days, you may reach a point where it dissolves and you discover the peace and joy of existence within. 

Remember, there will be a strong temptation to escape it all by attributing this pain to the person you are jealous of. If you do so, you have lost it and you will slide back all the way to the hell-hole of jealousy. On the contrary, if you can truly notice the pain within, without any mental analysis, you are moving into a world of bliss.

Yes, you are now close to the FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS  deeply embedded within us. If you look back now, you will realize how utterly foolish and stupid it was to be jealous.

Those of you who read this blog regularly, or have read my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? will be quick to understand that jealousy too can be an opening to move towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. As I keep saying, you can use any unhappiness as a portal to move towards joy. Also, persons on a journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS will never ever fall into the trap of jealousy.

By the same token, much of the suffering on account of jealousy is, really speaking, the basic human unease which too happens to be the true inner condition of human beings. We do so many things to keep this inner unease at bay. Inviting jealousy might be just another way, for it 'justifies' the inner pain by making another person the 'source' of the suffering.

But if you latch onto jealousy and solidify it, you are not only adding misery to your existence but making others around you unhappy too. Jealousy destroys you from within. You may look fine externally with the help of a fake existence, but you are finished inside. You will not find spirit. The quality of your life, your output at work and home are likely to be poor. Relationships will be affected. Creativity will certainly be at its lowest. Would you like to live like that? 

Think.

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 38 - FUNNY MYTHS SURROUNDING SPIRITUALITY

FUNNY MYTHS SURROUNDING SPIRITUALITY

Summary of earlier unmissable posts: click here

Hi Friends,

I have been writing on non-religious spirituality for over a year now. Some of you would have also read my book, ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? I have touched, both through this blog as well as in the book, upon this aspect of how spirituality is often misunderstood. It occurred to me that a post on this, rather funny, aspect of myths surrounding spirituality could be insightful. Here goes...

1. The most common misunderstanding about spirituality is confusing it with religion. Religion is a personal belief system. Spirituality has nothing to do with any 'beliefs'. It's about your connection with your true self as a living being. We are conscious of so many things surrounding us, but are we conscious of our consciousness? In short spirituality is all about self-awareness. Those reading this blog, or who have read my book, will be able to easily appreciate this. The funny part is that for many people, including the intelligent, well-read kinds, spirituality brings to mind the picture of sadhus and saints, deeply immersed in prayers. I can say about myself: I never pray, in the traditional sense. Quietly observing my inner self is my best prayer. I am not suggesting that you abandon religion. It is possible to hold religious beliefs and still be spiritual, though that is not a necessary condition. However, I have cautioned in the past that excessive religiosity could block your path towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS.

2. Often, spirituality is confused with the occult, mysticism or even magic. It is none of that. There is no place for miracles in spirituality. You do not get any super natural powers. Rather, you become more human, something that you were otherwise blocking from happening due to a thousand diversions and falsehoods. Spirituality is about intellectual honesty, about authenticity. 

3. Another common myth about spirituality is the presumption that you have to totally give up all worldly joys, possessions, positions and live a frugal life devoid of the usual comforts that we are used to. Many may carry images of living life like a hermit in caves or forests! Let me assure you, it's none of that. I was a CEO for three years in my previous assignment, and have again joined as CEO at another place. Yes, you need to honestly observe your addiction, if any, to all the things that we consider important. Even truly recognizing your craving brings more spirit in your life. Spirituality helps you to allocate the true value/worth of all material things in your world. You can still enjoy them, but from a position of greater awareness. Possibly we were earlier attaching undue importance to them. Enjoy them without clinging to them.

4. Yet another presumption about spirituality is that it brings about a grim and serious life. Far from it, you enjoy a life of mostly peace and joy. I won't be surprised if your sense of humor gets enhanced. You are less likely to get upset over small, petty things. And, there is no place for EGO! Now, if you feel an ego-less life is going to be boring and serious, that's your judgement. Also, do not confuse absence of ego with the inability to take a tough stand or a position in your personal or work life. That is most likely to be guided by sound principles, if you are a person of spirit. My take is that spiritual persons are more easily able to take a principled stand, for they do not suffer from insecurities.

5. Finally, many think spirituality is all make-believe stuff with no scientific or rational basis bordering on witchcraft! Let me assert here that spirituality is fully amenable to science. There is nothing in it that contradicts any scientific principle. That's so for the simple reason that spirituality offers no miracles. You remain human (rather, you become more human). In my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? I have devoted a section on the common ground between science and spirituality. Read it; you will find it revealing and interesting.

This last point needs a little more elaboration. We are generally very proud about our rationality. By all means we ought to be rational. That's what distinguishes us from animals. Rationality gives us the power to make choices, draw conclusions and come to judgments. But think about it - making a fair judgment and being judgmental are two very different things. Where do you draw the line? We believe we are completely objective beings, and in the process block creativity, innovation and fresh thinking. For all that you need to allow is some subjectivity in your lives. Tell me, is being subjective irrational or unscientific? Some people love mountains more than sea, or poetry more than music. Can there be any objective basis for such differences?

The problem arises when subjectivity gets clouded by ego. No good painting, work of art, fashion designing, soft skills are possible from an obsession with objectivity. Be objective, but don't block subjectivity. Being subjective is human. Subjectivity allows you to feel yourself closely. It unshackles you. On the contrary, Ego traps you. It confines you. You can never experience the joy of freedom as long as you are chained by ego.

6. So, we keep shunning spirituality branding it as occult, mysticism or plain religiosity. In the process we are depriving ourselves the only, lasting cure against depression, anxiety, hopelessness, despair and meaninglessness that seem to afflict all of humanity at the very core of its existence. Not convinced, yet? Read on...

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS - ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING! UNMISSABLE POSTS

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS - ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING! UNMISSABLE POSTS

Hey Guys!

I have completed one year of blogging on FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS! To date... my first post was uploaded on 23 July 2013. So today is the first anniversary!

When I look back, I find exciting things have happened. This blog has clocked more than 10,200 page views (you can see the counter, at the top right part of this page). The geographical spread is interesting: India (5800 page views), US (2343), France (167), China (162), Ukraine (146), UK (136), UAE (96), Russia (86), Germany (58) and Netherlands (46) are the top ten, followed by Italy, Canada, Australia, Philippines, South Korea, New Zealand, etc. 

In October, 2013 my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? was published. I have made lots of friends through Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter where I post links to my blog. Meanwhile my book received international recognition as  Category Finalist of the Eric Hoffer Award in May, 2014. It has been an incredible journey. :-)

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS:
I could gauge from the comments that most of you have not found the stuff heavy. That is wonderful. Many readers of my book and this blog have written to me that they got stirred up and a bit rattled by the stark truth. That too is excellent news. Getting shaken out of our stupor is a vital first step towards true happiness. At our core we seem to know about this truth but do not pay much attention to it. 

Really speaking, what I write is fairly straightforward. No myth, no occult. Pretty logical. Yet, the vast majority of humanity misses this simple point, and they suffer: consciously or, unfortunately, in denial. Ironically, those suffering consciously have a way through it, if they choose to take it. Others will first have to break the wall of denial.

It is an excellent idea to read the posts slowly and keep going back to earlier posts. The same applies to my book. The thoughts seep in. They gradually overcome the resistance inherent in human beings.

So, I decided to give here a summary of some of the posts that could be a worthwhile re-visit. Read them slowly. It will be fun. Also, you get a ready index at one place. You can click any of the links below:

Series 1: You too can taste FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS

Series 2: Accepting UNHAPPINESS

Series 3: We are Fundamentally Unhappy beings

Series 4: Three kinds of people suffering pain

Series 6: Is this blog only for those feeling depressed?

Series 9: Our journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS must necessarily be actionable and take into account our practical lives

Series 10: How to go about it?

Series 14: Accept Nothingness!

Series 19: We 'create' UNHAPPINESS for us all the time

Series 23: We find 'difficult persons' all around us; do we pause to take a look at ourselves?

Series 26: Does Spirituality imply religion, mysticism, occult? The answer is 'NO'

Series 30: Don't shun things in the material world - just go beyond them

Series 34: Psychological Depression Vs Uncaused Depression

Series 37: Uncaused Depression is a sign of Spiritual Growth. Celebrate it! Embrace it!

The journey towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS is not a one time unidirectional travel by a bullet train. You do not have a single starting point, ending at another specific point. There will be several back and forth movements. For, we humans have the habit of falling back to the 'old ways'. We start craving for happiness. The more we strive for happiness, the more unhappiness we are likely to witness. Once we 'give up', we move towards a life of peace and joy. Our mind could scream at us: don't give up! If we listen to the mind, we might slide back to the basic human unhappiness.

It is a slow journey towards infinity. Enjoy the journey itself. It is hugely enriching and rewarding. Don't lose heart. Keep reading.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 37 - Uncaused Depression is a sign of Spiritual Growth; Celebrate it! Embrace it!

 Uncaused Depression is a sign of Spiritual Growth; Celebrate it! Embrace it!

Hello Friends,

What do we do whenever we are confronted with a situation that plunges us into depression? We may try hard to set things right by removing the cause of unhappiness. That's natural. By all means we should do it. If we are successful, we are done with it and the matter happily ends there.

What if we cannot do much about the situation? We continue to feel bad. Some try to brush it aside. Others may try to deny that they are unhappy but with little success. Those who do not deny may, at times, indulge in something else: self pity. Indulgence in self pity is often very tempting - it gives a false sense of relief. It actually reinforces the psychic pain within us. Can you think of other alternatives? Blaming others?

In all the alternative responses described above, there is one common thread: that of resistance to the pain of unhappiness, struggle or fighting it. Especially when it is not in our hands to change our circumstances.

I have to state from my own experience of dealing with depression in my life that there is yet another approach to this: just accept the depression, feel it closely, observe what it's doing to you internally, focus your attention on it, without any analysis of the cause of the depression. It may appear difficult, rather even a ridiculous thing to do, but do try it. In some hours, you might find a space between yourself and the depression. In time it certainly will loose its severity. It can actually melt away. But the moment you lapse into the thoughts of what caused this unhappiness, how it could have been avoided or whom to blame, you've lost it. Please remember this catch.

We do not realize it, but our resistance to depression or anxiety, actually increases the pain!

This posture suggested by me works best (and it is actually easier) when we confront UNCAUSED DEPRESSION. All of us would have felt depressed, low or in a bad mood, for no reason at all. Our normal reactions to such a state include distraction, getting busy, in the hope that the depression will fade away. Worse, we might try to fabricate 'causes' for this unhappiness, and see who or what can be blamed for this state. That too is tempting; it gives a false sense of comfort, but internally, the pain accumulates. 

I had written a post in this blog titled: "We 'create' UNHAPPINESS for us all the time" (Series 19 on December, 25, 2013). Those interested can read it: please click here.

You will find a more detailed explanation of this UNCAUSED DEPRESSION in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? Depression, angst, meaninglessness, emptiness, sense of void, fear of death, all of these are manifestations of the true human condition, at the very core of our existence. Humans have learnt to keep themselves distracted from feeling this FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS by doing a thousand things, many of them important, some seemingly important, the rest plain mundane stuff.

So, many of us escape noticing this basic truth of human existence and lead what they think is a 'contended life'. Many get hints of it, and avoid it by getting 'busy', entertaining themselves (for they were probably experiencing 'boredom' or 'loneliness'). As I have stated before, some may get into the more destructive mode of falsely 'creating' external reasons for this suffering. Finally, some who have the courage to acknowledge that their depression has no external cause may wonder what to do and even end up with psychiatrists. 

This basic human condition has been captured beautifully in many outstanding works of art, literature, movies, even architecture!

My years of experience with depression have taught me that such UNCAUSED DEPRESSION is actually not a mental disease. It is a sign of early SPIRITUAL GROWTH. A psychiatrist will try to pull you down through medication or counselling or both, to help you again feel like other 'normal' people who do not feel depressed like you. That, at best, works only for some time.

Instead of being pushed down, the remedy is to allow yourself to grow further, and enjoy the bliss of FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS! And, full acknowledgement followed by dropping all struggle or resistance to this pain is the first step. 

This is one of those dilemmas that humanity is not ready to face. We are trained, both by instinct and experience, to move away from pain. On the contrary, I am suggesting that you move into the pain! That, ironically, is the truth. 

Friends, this is not a one time exercise to cure yourself of depression. The new found peace and joy has to be continuously renewed by maintaining the stance: the stance of surrender. It is a life long journey into a new world.

Yes, there is no way out of this unhappiness. The way is only through it! This is not only my own experience, but has been documented by many. The complications arise when bombastic words and concepts are used in spiritual literature. This complication drives people away from any talk of spirituality. Many confuse it with the occult! Really speaking, the process of moving up the spiritual ladder is a straightforward process. 

Most think spirituality is religion. What I write about is plain non-religious spirituality. Yet, while you practice it, you are free to continue with your religious beliefs. You can also continue with your usual, practical life, but with a more aware stance. That makes all the difference.

Tell me, should we not celebrate depression? Try it the next time you feel depressed, especially without reason.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 36 - A Liberal and less Prudish Society could help reduce Crime against Women

 A Liberal and less Prudish Society could help reduce Crime against Women

Hi Friends,

The rampant instances of rape in the state of Uttar Pradesh, as well as other states in India, have caused alarm and disgust. Naturally so. Voices of concern have been expressed at international fora as well, including the United Nations.

One reason for this increased incidence of such crimes could be that more women are today coming out, relatively with less fear, and registering complaints against the criminals, instead of silently suffering. Media reporting in India is also sharper and quicker than what it used to be decades ago. 

Rape is one of the worst forms of violation that a human being (mostly women, sometimes also men) can be subjected to. Some other forms of human degradation that come close to it are third degree torture, physical abuse and extreme humiliation. In all these cases, apart from the physical pain, it is the 'self' that takes a severe beating. The sense of self gets mauled at the hands of fellow beings! Has it occurred to you that only human beings are capable of being so cruel? Animals often fight over territory or mates or food. But that is more instinct driven. It is not planned. Animals are also known to strategise, mostly for survival. But I have never heard animals subjecting another one to cruelty for sheer sadistic pleasure.

There is definitely need for social change in the manner in which women are seen as objects in a male dominated society, through better education from early childhood. But these are all familiar arguments which have been around for long.

As I mostly do, let us examine this crisis from the spiritual perspective. My first argument is, what I keep stating, that human beings are FUNDAMENTALLY UNHAPPY. This unhappiness manifests itself, at the very core of human existence, in different degrees. Those who wish to do a quick recap, can read Series 3 (click here) and series 4 (click here). 

Most of us are oblivious of this basic inner condition. We do get hints, but either we distract ourselves from it, or blame it on something external. Some of us feel it strongly but are in denial. They are more likely to 'manufacture' external causes for their unhappiness. The intensity of this inner pain can be devastating. The problem gets compounded when, backed by strong denial and an egoic self, this suffering is taken out on others. Outwardly such persons may look quite OK, except when they are overtaken by some rage, jealousy, anger, that triggers the inner condition. They can get pretty much out of control and can cause harm to others, including blaming, humiliation or even physical abuse.

Of course not all acutely fundamentally unhappy persons are likely to be rapists. But the converse is probably true: all rapists, terrorists, hardened criminals, are certainly persons who are in the throes of extreme unhappiness at their core.

They are 'unconscious' of their suffering, like a patient in pain put under anaesthesia. I am not suggesting that all of them could become criminals. In fact, the educated and well heeled within this class is unlikely to commit a crime like rape, unless it is a reflection of a very crude display of power and control.

Society as a whole consists of a huge collective FUNDAMENTAL UNHAPPINESS. When this unhappiness is unconscious due to lack or absence of self awareness, society suffers at the hands of fellow human beings. Most criminals, including rapists and terrorists, are 'unconscious' people, and a big threat and menace to society.

Interestingly, the persons who are able to feel this human pain within and are consciously suffering, instead of trying to attribute it to some 'manufactured' external cause, are least likely to cause harm to others. Being conscious of your inner pain through awareness, makes you more human. Such persons are authentic and can easily move towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. They are able to break free from many man made structures in society. Most of us who lack awareness, are comfortable to work around laid down structures and constraints. Women get the worst deal in such rigid societies. We only give lip service to the concept of freedom. Secretly, we prefer a restricted society, that is convenient to many of us.

Of course, we need tough laws, better policing, quick justice. At the social level, education will help up to a point. What is badly needed is more spirit in society, that brings more happiness, through self awareness and, consequently, more freedom. An aware person, will not easily be able to hurt any life form, leave alone human beings.

As I have premised in my book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY?, the burden of this collective human misery itself will, hopefully, prompt mankind towards more awareness, and hence a movement towards FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. If all the 'unconscious' people could display some courage and peep inside to face the muck within, they can all spring towards JOY and PEACE.

Instead of waiting for that, let us impart simple spiritual inputs to children from school. Children have less resistance, and they might imbibe the insights faster than hardened adults. Unfortunately, spirituality is almost often confused with religion. I have been blogging on this subject for almost a year. I have not used a single religious symbol to explain anything.

I repeat, much of the lack of self awareness comes from too many constraints created by society itself. So many things are illegal: adults watching pornography, gay sex, dance bars, prostitution, all in the name of protection of women and weaker sections. This has created a prudish society. Can you image an unmarried couple checking into a hotel room in India? No one bothers in developed, western societies. 

Those who have watched the Hindi movie, Queen, would have had a taste of a free society, when they saw the lead lady, played by Kangana Ranaut, share a hotel room with three men in Amsterdam. It helped her break free from the constrained way she was brought up in India, and she was able to reject the same boy, who had earlier rejected her for marriage. This sense of freedom, backed by saner laws is of paramount importance to restore some sanity in current Indian society. I doubt if any of the rapists from the fringe sections of Indian society, have ever spoken or played with girls as youngsters. It would have been frowned upon. The plight of young girls would have been worse. 

Being in touch with yourself adds spirit to life. And, spirit is the solution to so many problems we face in the modern world today: crimes, hatred, torture, abuse of human rights, pollution, cruelty to animals... 

Let us hope better sense prevails.

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS Series 35 - Is the Era of Rented Intellectuals Over in India?

Is the Era of Rented Intellectuals over in India?

Hello Friends,

My book ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? has won an international recognition:

Series 35:
This post is a sequel to Series 33 titled Spiritual Secularism, Spiritual Liberalism, Spiritual Hindutva (click here to read) that I posted on May, 9, 2014. I had written how, often, in the garb of taking a high moral ground or an esteemed value system, we pursue an agenda. I had also written how, most of us educated, 'intellectuals' have been inauthentic, irrespective of which side of the political spectrum we adhere to, those who swear by secular liberalism as well as those who find fault with it. This phenomenon has been fairly widespread. 

Authenticity is a matter of spirit. It does not have much to do with honesty. For, very often we are 'technically correct' and hence, honest. But if there is a motive hidden behind our stance, we are being inauthentic, even though factually right. It is for each one of us to judge, based on our intellectual honesty, whether we have been authentic.

Ironically, by secretly being inauthentic, we might successfully score a point or win an argument, but we personally pay the price for inauthenticity, by moving away from FUNDAMENTAL HAPPINESS. Readers of this blog as well as my book, ARE YOU REALLY HAPPY? will appreciate this dimension. Inauthenticity is the source of all misery and grief. We might cleverly deny or avoid it, but that's the truth.

I had written Series 33 in the backdrop of a very nasty debate leading up to the Indian elections. The results have surprised many. 

Post election results, one class of intellectuals are finding themselves very uncomfortable: the secular, liberals. Even economists with leftist leanings. Somehow in India, if you uphold liberal values, it is expected that you ought to be left leaning. It has become impossible for anyone to not agree with the left ideology, and still be counted as a liberal. This hypocrisy has been the worst outcome of INAUTHENTICITY. 

I repeat what I had written before. A secular, liberal framework is an essential and inseparable dimension of our nationhood. The solidity of this framework is enshrined in our Constitution with numerous institutions standing guard to ensure that this value system prevails. Any breach of this principle needs to be punished with severity. Lapses do occur and it would be incorrect to say that the guilty are always caught and punished. But we are progressing as a secular, liberal democracy with all its infirmities, warts and all.

The manner in which some intellectuals, including liberals, journalists and economists, had risen to become the sole conscience keepers of our nation had become disturbing. The agenda was clear. There was a huge stake in somehow maintaining status quo. Why? Was there a symbiotic relationship with the establishment? Was there a vested interest? Which is why I have used the term 'rented intellectuals' in the title of this post. Inauthenticity was screaming from much that this intellectual class was voicing.

Mercifully, I find some change of heart, or possibly, a change of tack. For, denial is rock solid and it takes time to acknowledge. In fact one famous journalist openly admitted to the widespread goof-up. I admire his courage. Those interested can click here to read it: A missive to distraught liberals.  

This phenomenon is not peculiar to India. Interestingly, the term 'embedded journalism' first came to be used in the media coverage of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. This practice has been criticised as being part of a propaganda campaign with a bias sympathetic to the invading forces. The whole world knows that the entire premise of the attack on Iraq was based on lies. The truth always comes out - sooner or later. Unfortunately a lot of harm is caused, often irreversible, by the time the truth is revealed.

While the days of such entrenched liberals may have got over in India, one has to be careful to see that the opposite class of vested interest does not get embedded now in the space vacated. We, all citizens, have to be alert and true to ourselves to see that no more games are played. The nation pays a very heavy price. Let us stay clear of the extreme ideologies, Left or Right, and let us focus on what is correct for the nation. Differences of opinion should always be given space and respected. Opinion that is not backed by dogma (secretly supported by ego) or some ulterior motive is always worth considering. That is the stuff of honest opinion. Therein lies the importance of AUTHENTICITY.

One last word: freedom of speech and expression must be upheld under all circumstances. We have had too many books being banned or withdrawn, artists and authors banished from the country. The law of our land is not fully tolerant of the highest standards of freedom of expression. Let us display the courage to amend laws, if necessary. If you don't like some opinions or expressions, either ignore them or challenge them with your own opinion. Creative expression has to be allowed unchecked. In a free-wheeling culture, those operating with agendas are going to get exposed in the midst of healthy debate. 

Cheers!

Deepak Chatterjee

chatterjee.deepak33@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/deepak.chatterjee.944

@Deepak33C

If you are following this blog through email, you will notice that the post that you receive in your in-box does not have the blog archives and other features. At times the formatting is not good. For a better view you can see the entire blog at: 

http://fundamentalhappiness.blogspot.com/

views are personal