9. The Little Things in Life

The world may be in a total mess, and yet paradoxically, everything is perfectly in its proper place. This may sound absurd, and yet this is exactly how one feels in the awakened state. One is aware of this apparent dichotomy, not only in the so-called external world, but also within oneself. On the surface, there may be chaos, but strangely, in the depths of one’s being, one feels a wonderful peace and a sense of order. And one can also see this perfection in nature all around oneself.

There is nothing wrong with our big dreams in life, but it is wise to see them in proper perspective. There is nothing wrong with planning for the future, but it is wise to recognise that it is worrying that often masquerades as planning. There is nothing wrong with thinking, but it is wise to be aware of the compulsive mental activity that operates in the guise of thinking. There is nothing wrong with judging, but it is wise to discover detachment to one’s mental positions.

There is nothing wrong with anger or jealousy, but it is wise to recognise that these are expressions of one’s suffering. There is nothing wrong with ritualistic worship, but it is wise to see the deeper meaning in the ritual. There is nothing wrong with disbelieving in God, but it is wise to see that disbelief is also another kind of belief. There is nothing wrong in keeping secrets or telling lies, but it is wise to realise that there is perhaps an omnipresent intelligence at work, and the notion of privacy is but a myth.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be important, but it is wise to see the delusion. There is nothing wrong in seeking fulfilment in the outer world, but it is wise to see that true fulfilment can be found only in one’s innermost being. In the words of Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is within you.

One discovers the art of discriminating between two different states of happiness: the joy that springs from the lightness of being (enjoying little things, like watching little children at play or being stunned by a beautiful sunset) and the ego-pleasure that arises from some accomplishment (some “success”, like winning a prize). One learns to value the former, and to be wary of the latter (which is but an exercise in self-aggrandisement). One also discovers that the joy that arises from the state of being does not have an opposite, unlike the ego-pain associated with “failure”.

Having tasted the power and grace of the “meditative” dimension, one trains oneself to return to it again and again, and to be aware whenever that dimension is lost by the movement of the ego-self and drowned in the cacophony of mental noise. One can actually observe this happening, for example while getting drawn into petty gossip, and one can see how one’s power and energy easily gets “scattered”. One learns the art of being aware of this and of remaining detached and inwardly still, centred in the state of being.

One discovers the extraordinary in the ordinary.