The world is full of selfish people. The selfish businessmen who can exploit their employees, undertake unfair trade practices, and even bribe the system for their selfish interests. The selfish bosses who can eat the credit away from their subordinates and make their lives hell just to claim some brownie points. The selfish kids who do not take care of their parents in their old age. The selfish parents who use their kids as trophies. The selfish people who just use their relatives to get some materialistic benefit. Selfish bureaucrats who just use the organizations and their positions for their selfish interests. Selfish politicians who use their vote banks to get to the seats of power and then exploit those power positions for their self-interest.
When the world is full of such selfish people, it should be the happiest place to live because everybody is selfish and taking care of their self-interest. Then why is there so much unhappiness all around? Why 20% of American adults have one or another health disease. Why is stress visible on the faces of most people? Why are there wars among so many countries? Why do people have to die of hunger while people can spend crores on their kids' marriages? With almost everybody being selfish, the world should have been a wonderful place where everybody's self-interest is protected.
Leave aside the poor and powerless, are the rich and powerful happy? I recall the videos of Shri S N Goenka ji in his evening lecture series during Vipassana camps. He was one of the richest businessmen in Myanmar, one of the leaders of his community, and therefore was quite respected in the business community. Yet, he was suffering from Migraine and made all efforts to get that treated by visiting doctors in different countries. He could not get any relief until he attended a Vipassana camp. Vipassana is all about the observation of the inner world and dropping the fixation with different sensations. After Vipassana, he got cured completely and then helped millions walk on the same path across the world. The same person, who was suffering badly despite all the wealth, became contented and happy after dropping everything and helped millions. What happened in the process?
Material wealth and power bring complications along with them. When we acquire some property, we have to take care of the same. When we acquire wealth, we have to devote time to its investment. When we get positions, we have to make efforts to deliver the tasks associated with those positions. Nothing is free in this world. When we are not aware and connected to our inner selves, somehow we become confused and start presuming that our self-interest is in the protection and enhancement of wealth and power. We mistake "stupidity" for "self-interest". "Self" keeps suffering inside because the "self" craves experiences in the unknown domain. Even if we have the most lavish routine, that is never going to fill us with joy. That's why we always remember our first visit outside the town, first friend, first love, and first book. The "self" craves exploration in the domain of the unknown. "Self" is a part of the "consciousness" which is constantly expanding in the form of this universe. Then, how would our "self-interest" be served with the routine, whether poor or rich, whether powerless or powerful? Oblivious of the reality of our own selves, we mistake "self-harm" as "self-interest" and as a result suffer. The more we lose awareness of our "self-interest," the more we suffer until we reach a stage where that suffering crosses a threshold and we become mental patients.
There are many warning signals in this journey of "self-suffering." We set our first target, work hard to reach it, and become restless whenever situations do not seem to support us. That restlessness serves as the first reminder of our "stupidity." Then we become unable to keep our feet on the ground. That euphoria is the second reminder of that "stupidity." Eventually, that euphoria evaporates, and we grow restless again as we search for the next target, repeating the same cycle. The more "intelligent" 😉people set many such targets simultaneously and continue to suffer constantly. Unless we are aware of our "self," we can't distinguish between "self-interest" and "self-suffering." We fail to recognize that addiction to targets and achievements is akin to addiction to dopamine. It is no better than drug addiction; the only difference is that the drug addicts seek that externally, while the achievement addicts produce it inside their bodies. "Self" is not interested in the dose of adrenaline or dopamine; rather, it craves exploration into the world of the unknown. It seeks experiences that foster expansion and growth. If we truly care about our "self," we would quickly grasp our "self-interest." And if all of us understood our "self-interest," the world would transform into a beautiful place where everyone is engaged in innovation and exploration. Any "self-interested" person would have no time and energy to exploit others. In fact, any "self-interested" person would be aware of the inner connection with fellow beings, understand the value of co-operation and collaboration to innovate and explore, and would therefore spread love and harmony.
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