On the one hand, it is the dream of almost every child in today's world to earn money and live a comfortable life, mostly abroad in a developed country with good infrastructure. In almost every recent discussion among the parents, there was an emphatic mention of the children doing their UG or PG at some college in the USA or Europe. Parents appear to feel a sense of great achievement and, at the same time, are curious about the next steps. Obviously, it's quite expensive, which is why it's not possible for everyone. Parents have to plan extensively and save a large amount of money to make these opportunities available to their children. That's the best in the known domain that parents can aim for their children.
On the other hand, I wonder about the spacecraft that brings astronauts back from space. It is such a small, uncomfortable capsule, and the astronauts have to spend so much time in it. That's quite uncomfortable. Yet the astronauts willingly and enthusiastically go to outer space. We can make these capsules very comfortable, but that will obstruct our exploration. The rocket will not be able to carry it that far. We want to reach Mars, but the rocket's capacity is limited. It can carry a limited payload. That's why we choose exploration over comfort. We try to minimise the capsule's internal volume, making it small so the rocket can carry it farther. Reaching farther is more important than staying comfortable.
That seems quite the opposite of the parents' drive to make their children's lives comfortable by getting them admitted to the best universities. Comfort is always in the domain of the known. While exploration is always in the domain of the unknown. The more we are stuck with the known, the more difficult it will be to explore the unknown. A hiker needs to give up the comforts when he hikes on difficult peaks; an athlete has to give up the comfort of his bed to get up in the morning and practice hard to break a world record. An author will have to break free of the comforts of his own ideas and beliefs to write a wonderful book. Exploration is never comfortable because it is never restricted to the domain of the known.
Most people work hard in their childhood to get into a good college, and after achieving their goal, they become complacent. Some work hard to get a good placement and then become complacent after getting the job, doing the same routine for the rest of their lives. Some set new targets around what they like. The top positions in the organisation, the promotions, and the prestigious assignments. No doubt that's challenging. However, most people take up these challenges to achieve something that they like. The intended outcome is in the domain of the known.
Can a scientist set the target of his experiment in the domain of the known? Can an astronomer set a target for himself that, after reaching outer space, he will visit the predetermined tourist points? Can a hiker set targets in terms of experiences on the peak? Can an author set targets for what he is going to write in the book? Exploration is always beyond the domain of the known. Fixation on the known makes it difficult. Fixation is known as an act like "weight" in the sky of free exploration, and the sooner we get rid of it, the better it is for us. However, the journey there is uncertain. We can't have the comfort of the known. Every moment is full of surpises and that's why life is so rich. We may watch a movie a hundred times because we like it, but the true joy of the movie is the first time we watch it, when we explore the unknown. We will end up passing the conflicts to our children unless we understand that difference. A fulfilling life will never be certain. It will never be comfortable. A comfortable life will never be fulfilling. Krishna has to participate in the battle of Kurukshetra to live a meaningful life rather than sitting comfortably in his palace in Dwarka.
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