I wonder if we give away the most precious things in this just to get something that has little utility. I feel pained to see the way precious resources are being wasted. We have made our rivers so dirty just because we do not want to make the effort to treat effluents before dumping them into the rivers. We keep throwing the garbage everywhere, and literally all the roads are full of polyethene and packaging papers. All the cities are full of the stench from dumping grounds at their entrances. Groundwater is getting contaminated. Due to our foolishness, we have given away the most precious things, such as clean water, air, and the ecosystem, to get that extra comfort.
All these things are still visible. One thing that hardly catches our attention is the freedom of leisure. Earlier, we used to have that time to talk to friends, sleep under the stars, and sit silently in our own company. Nowadays, we don't have time for two reasons. First, we are busy chasing our dreams. The dreams to grow big and earn more and more money. Second, we are busy with social media and the internet. The Internet has become quite addictive. The YouTube shots don't stop and keep coming one after the other. It is very difficult to keep the mobile away from ourselves even for an hour. The virtual world looks very tempting. Money makes us feel good. But what is the cost? That leisure? Do we ever realise the value of that leisure? I am not anti-technology or anti-Internet. I just mean to draw everybody's attention to the cost.
Similarly, we came together to form a society. We live in society because we feel safe. In case of any danger, we have people around. If we fall ill, there are people to take care of us. We take care of the kids and raise them. The younger members of society take care of the older members, and that's how the entire society runs. Society follows certain beliefs about God and morality. Every society has different norms for right and wrong. Generally, people do not challenge the concepts of right and wrong told to them by their society. Since most people continue in the place where they were born, there are no conflicts. Problems arise when people outgrow the thought process of the place they have been living. Then it becomes difficult for them to adjust to that mindset. That feels like giving away your freedom for getting the security that society offers, and it appears to be a very bad deal.
Very few people dare to fight for their freedom. Most people give in to the security that society provides. Most people adjust to the "generally accepted practices" and do not raise their voice. They start taking an interest in social gossip and, in the process, gradually lose their purity. They feel that dirty roads and contaminated rivers are normal and find nothing concerning. Similarly, they feel that "passing time" through social gossip is normal, and they, too, start to enjoy it. Some resist it occasionally and slowly realise that there is no point in wasting time resisting these things. In the process, we lose awareness of the value of freedom of thought and expression. It looks so difficult to exercise the freedom to say no to a social gathering that we don't like. We don't realise how poor a choice we make. We give away our freedom to think and speak for the sake of getting that social approval. We keep making many such choices where we give away something very valuable to us for something very ordinary, and as a result of many such choices, we lead a very unfulfilling life. I have met many people who have had illustrious careers of 35-40 years, and at the end of that career, they feel quite hollow. That's because we keep wasting our lives in pursuit of something that holds little meaning.
The moot question is "How to get this realisation fast enough so that life can be meaningful?" I don't have a simple answer to this question. In fact, the ego's biggest problem is that it is always absolutely sure. It rejects reality. It does not want to face questions. Duryodhana and Karna will always be sure, and Arjuna will always be confused. A child will be very sure of what God means. A child will be very sure of the meaning of life. Similarly, a person who has never challenged their limited framework will always be sure. The problem gets aggravated when we are surrounded by people who share similar beliefs about life. Then it becomes almost impossible to look at life from a different perspective. In fact, people read the books and reject that different perspective as something impractical. People get to read about people who could break free of many frameworks in their lives and reject the idea, believing they were different people. Sometimes, they are termed as Gods and Goddesses. The ego will do every possible thing in this world to protect its existence. The moment awareness sets in, the ego is gone. However, till the owner is sleeping, who will ask the unauthorised occupant to move away? Not so that our heart does not know this. But whenever it raises its voice, we turn the volume of ego up. Next time, we just have to be a little aware and listen to the call of the heart. Small steps will make a big difference in restoring our freedom.
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