All the senses and the mind remain intensely active throughout the day. The eyes see, the ears hear, the tongue speaks/eats, the nose smells, the body acts, the mind interprets, reacts, plans, judges.
Almost every waking moment, the six instruments are engaged in something or the other.
In that continuous engagement arises a subtle but persistent narrative: I did this. I am doing this. I will do that.
Alongside this activity, judgments are constantly formed; about myself and about others. Opinions are generated, conclusions are drawn.
Advice flows; sometimes requested, often unsolicited.
I notice myself imposing my views, expecting others to accept them, wanting them to listen, to agree, to acknowledge.
At the same time, when opinions or advice come toward me, resistance arises. Who is that person to advise me? Who is this human to judge me? Who gave them the authority to impose their views on me? I do not wish to be instructed, corrected, or evaluated.
I seek freedom for myself, yet subtly deny it to others.
In all of this i.e. every task, every interaction, every reaction, the focus remains outward. The senses and the mind are constantly projecting themselves into the world.
Even during spiritual activities, the “I” remains at the center.
Consciously or subconsciously, it is still about me; my understanding, my growth, my image, my (fake/temporary) identity.
_Raag_ and _Dwesh_ continue their cycles. Attachment and aversion operate silently but powerfully. _Moh_ (Delusion) underlies the entire movement.
The attempts to break this chain do happen at times, but the focus is still outward. Hence, the attempt itself becomes part of the same loop.
The mind offers consolation: _You have a life to live. Some things are justified. Responsibilities exist. Engagement is necessary. And perhaps it is right at one level._
Beneath that justification arises a deeper question:
Am I trapping myself?
Am I subtly playing with my real identity (the true Self) by remaining absorbed in this outward drama?
If I am honest, most of my time (perhaps ALL of it) is invested in maintaining and protecting what is fragile and temporary: the body, the personality, the social identity, the mental constructs.
Everything I nurture and defend will end with the passing of this life.
Am I truly thinking beyond this life?
Am I really thinking beyond this life?
Am I actually thinking beyond this life?
Are my spiritual activities genuinely aligned with designing a roadmap toward liberation?
Or
Are they another extension of ego; a refined layer of self-importance?
Am I still trying to prove something to this material world and to worldly people?
If I look within without fabrication, without justification, without hypocrisy:
Am I truly eligible to impose opinions, to offer advice, to speak of others’ wellbeing, when I myself remain incomplete, still learning, still clouded, still an _agyaani_?
Perhaps it is time to "PAUSE"; to "Step Back".
I need to reflect deeply on what it means to live rightly in this material world.
A revered saint once expressed it simply:
If one sees the world as a manifestation of the Self;
accepts whatever happens as 100 percent fully appropriate;
does not look for faults in others;
and is able to endure & humbly bear the excellence of one’s own virtues;
only then is it appropriate to live in this world; not in any other way.
These thoughts surfaced today not as philosophy, but as lived observation.
Probably, the real benefit (MY true benefit) lies not in defending the outward identity, but in dissolving it.
