Every decision we make hinges on one fundamental question: "Who am I?" The answer to that question determines how we live our lives. However, in most cases, the parents as well as society do not encourage a genuine inquiry into that question. Rather adults vomit their mental stories of the meaning of life into the minds of youngsters. By the time kids grow as adults, they are already loaded with these mental stories about the meaning of life. Such mental stories are constantly confirmed by society and peer groups. Life is all about family, relationships, excellence, money, efficiency, positions, and fame. There are so many mental stories being propagated in society about the meaning of life and almost all of us end up picking one or the other. Not only there are material stories of the meaning of life, but there are also so-called spiritual stories stating that the purpose of life is to accumulate "good deeds", "be happy", "be positive", "some unique experiences" and so on.
These mental stories have their roots quite deep in our psyche. That is the reason why it is quite difficult to challenge them. Generally, people do not see any need to challenge these stories in their lifetime and they live with these stories and die with them. Once we believe in these stories, our life is driven by the "constant fear" since we do not want to let go of what we have. We want to hold on to the money and powers we have or the spiritual organizations we have joined and live under a constant fear of losing these. On the other hand, some of us are driven by the "constant seeking" of money, powers, or experiences around which we have defined the meaning of life. Some of us are driven by a "sustainable approach" and want to ensure the sustainability of whatever meaning of life we have made. We want to set up systems to ensure sustainability.
Whatever approach we take in life, we hardly get an opportunity to enquire about the real meaning of life. How can a clouded vision see reality? How can we look at the real color without taking off our glasses? We just try to do some window dressing. We do not dare to challenge our fundamental belief systems and at the same time want to know the reality. For most people, the notion of the Earth being stable is so fundamental to their existence. The purpose of their lives is restricted to buying a few pieces of land or gathering some currency that society has assigned some value. Some make efforts to buy a good position in heaven by spending money to buy "good deeds". They just want to buy the currency of heaven in exchange for the money of this world. Some want to experience consciousness while being on earth and some Baba offers them these experiences. Since our brain has been conditioned since childhood to believe in mental stories, an organization where millions believe such stories are being sold by Baba, we also tend to believe the same.
Most people spend their lives around these meanings. While being on the Earth, we can enquire into the reality of the Earth. We can just logically deduce that the Earth is revolving around the Sun and rotating on its axis. We can look at the stars and get some idea about the existence of the cosmos which is far wider than our imagination. All these thoughts set us free from the fixation with Earth. However, the real wonder takes place when we get to see the Earth from a distance, the moment we land on the ISS. That's not easy. It requires long training. Our brain is a very powerful "meaning-making machine". The moment we move along the path of inquiry, the brain creates all types of hallucinations. It is quite easy to fall into this trap. The unconscious mind is a vast reservoir of past memories that we are not even conscious of. It plays so many tricks with the conscious mind like the "Maya of Danavas".
Breath is a universal reality, and we can connect with it at any time, in any place, and under any circumstances. The mind is a meaning-making machine, and the unconscious mind continues to play its tricks. In this context, anyone committed to exploring the nature of "I" can anchor himself in breath and then examine his own thoughts. During this process, there will be moments of thoughtlessness where one can observe their body and various types of body sensations. According to the latest research in the field of neurology by Gabor Maté in his book "The Body Keeps the Score," our bodies retain the history of our past traumas and deep experiences. How can we perceive reality if our understanding of it is influenced by these impressions? This is why we need a strong, unbiased anchor like breath to examine not only our thoughts but also the memories from the unconscious mind. When we witness bodily sensations without reacting, we can see how these sensations are connected to our past experiences. Once we understand this connection, we can let go and perceive the untainted reality. The more we let go, the clearer our view of reality becomes. Meditation is not about discarding old mental stories and creating new ones; rather, it is about letting go of all mental narratives and seeing reality as it truly is. A mind free of all mental stories, rather than burdened with them, embodies mindfulness.
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