Why is it so rare to be aware? Why is it so difficult to find somebody like Buddha, who was born in a palace and yet made a decision to leave the comforts of the palace? Comforts make us feel good. When it is scorching heat outside, the cool air of the AC makes us happy. Why would somebody leave the comfort of a lavish home and go to the forest where even food is not assured? The forest is full of dangerous animals and is quite unhygienic.
Probably this is because we have never examined the meaning of comforts. You make a sportsman sit in the AC for a week, and he will be almost mad to go back to the ground. Why? Does he dislike comfort? No, he also likes comfort, but he likes something more than that. He likes the sport he plays more than those comforts. That's why he becomes desperate after a few days to return to the field. All of us like toys when we are young. We fight with our friends over those toys. But as we grow, we lose interest in those toys.
When our awareness of life is limited, we choose some goal within that limited frame we are aware of. As our awareness grows, the goals within that limited frame no longer attract us. The purpose of the life of an adult can not be to win a game of Uno or Ludo. However, what if society as a whole refuses to grow? In that case, the awareness of the majority will be limited, and the person who wants to grow beyond the limited frame of society will have to make extra efforts. He will be considered to be a madman, and most people will make fun of him. But he can see what others can't see. An astronaut undergoes so many difficulties. With his level of intelligence and qualifications, he can get a comfortable life quite easily. Yet he wants to experience being in the space. That's why he happily undergoes the difficult training. He is not a madman. There are twin factors behind his motivation. First, he has realized the limitations of worldly pleasures. Second, he is quite curious to explore beyond Earth.
Vairagya, or the realization of life's limitations, is the first step toward exploration. If we are satisfied with routine, there is little room for discovery. That boredom can lead to cynicism if we are not willing to put in extra effort. We may even enter a depressive phase and find life meaningless. However, if we connect with that "call from inside," it won’t let us rest. We won’t have a "choice" to sit comfortably. We will understand that "comfort" is killing, and that "certainty" is just a mirage that will vanish soon. That's why the temptation of comforts and certainty won’t stop us. We will have no choice but to explore and continually break free from the frames of life we’ve been part of. Such a person cannot be tied to one pillar or another. The silent call from inside becomes clearer as we free ourselves from more frames, and eventually, it becomes so undeniable that there is no doubt or confusion. At that point, the voices of the world no longer seem attractive. Actions are then driven by the purpose of life rather than the temptation of comforts and certainty.
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