It is so interesting to meet so many different types of people. One strange thing, which is actually very common, is that we are all so sure of what we think is right. All of us have had different experiences in our lives, and our definition of right and wrong depends upon our unique experiences. That's why we think so differently on the same issues. Yet, we are so certain that our view is the right view, and we leave no occasion to prove that and also to prove that any other view that contradicts our view is not correct.
Why are we so certain? Is it because of the fear inside us? What if we are afraid to let go of certainty? What if we are using that certainty just to hide our inner fear? I feel that is the biggest cause of human misery. Life is uncertain. The consciousness is full of possibilities. Nobody is sure when the next asteroid will hit Earth, or when the whole of humanity will vanish. Nobody knows when we will face another COVID-19-type pandemic. Nobody knows when we will face the Third World War. Nobody knows what will happen in the future, and yet we want to be so sure about it. Probably, we are so afraid of uncertainty that we form different beliefs that makes us feel certain.
The first belief we form is about relationships. We want to feel secure and certain in this uncertain world, so we form the belief that nothing will happen to us and that we are always safe. That's why terminal disease comes as a shock to all of us. Then we come to believe that our friends and relatives will always stand by us. That's why it takes months and sometimes even years to get past the grief of losing a near and dear one. Then we form a belief around the meaning of happiness. We form very strong beliefs that certain achievements, such as a promotion in career, a certain position or accumulation of a certain type of wealth, are going to give us happiness. That takes away a significant part of our lives. We still have not become wise and want to be sure again. Now we form certain beliefs about the afterlife and the meaning of life. We join a spiritual organisation and try to become certain about the meaning of life. We want to be certain of the ways and means to realise the ultimate truth, and whatever is told by the baba is accepted without application of mind. Even if our experiences warn us, we conveniently ignore those red flags.
I don't know whether we will ever understand that our quest for certainty is probably the biggest threat to our existence. It is because consciousness can manifest itself in so many different ways that nobody can predict, and the moment we want to be sure, we are in a trap. We start rejecting what is so obvious. Confirmation of belief is more important than reality. If we believe God to be "X", and actually God is "Y", even if we encounter God, we will reject Him because he is "Y" and not "X". We become that stupid due to our eternal quest for certainty. When we accept uncertainty, we naturally become curious to know. We observe without bias. Our minds open. In that state, we become receptive and a certain space is created within us to observe, appreciate, and assimilate experiences that do not make sense in the world of belief. We develop a capacity to see the truth with that state of mind. It may not be an exaggeration to say that we are so afraid of uncertainty that we form beliefs as a tool to handle it, and that tool becomes the biggest obstruction to our tryst with reality. If somebody knows "ABC" and, with that knowledge, forms a belief about the rest of the alphabet, he will never get to know "D to Z"; rather, he will get to know some imaginary alphabet that resembles ABC.
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