Wednesday, September 07, 2005

 

Quest for sense

I've written some uttely nonsensical stuff, which will nevertheless make some sense to some chosen ones.


I think I discovered something last night. The answer to the question, why I tend to think too much. That's a significant discovery for me, I must say, as I've been asking this question to myself for the last 8 years. Here it goes: The fundamental reason behind me thinking too much is that I try to make sense out of everything. Saddest realization is, "actually it is not possible to do so".


I was encountered with another basic question, when I realized why I spend too much time thinking. The question is, "Why do I expect everything to be sensible?". While reading catch - 22 I felt that everything need not make sense. In fact most of the things on earth do not make any sense to anyone at all. It is lot more easier and funnier that way. It is a bad habit to search for some solid stuff in everything one sees, hears, smells, reads, writes etc. But I don't know why I expected everything to be sensible on the first place. Is it that when I was about to take birth on this earth, someone (probably God?) ordered me to expect everything to be sensible? or, is it my parents who told me to look for it when I was a kid? is it the teachers? is it the society? I don't know or remember honestly. Perhaps it is me and me alone who became obsessed with a quest for sense while growing up.


I remember attacking my mother with questions like, "Why are we born?", "Where is the boundary to this space consisting of sun,stars, earth and the moon(these were the only bodies I knew then)?", "What causes us to do what we do?","What moves earth(I hadn't read Atlas shrugged then!)?" etc, when I was about 5 years old. I haven't found the answers yet. I guess no one has. Hence I've stopped asking these and started with lower level questions. Asking questions and finding answers is something I love to keep doing I suppose. But what's the use? there is no point asking what's the use. Actually anything that anyone does can be strongly argued both ways, either as useful or as useless. So no use wondering whether something is useful or not!


I have very strong penchant towards certain things, especially paradoxical statements/stories. Catch - 22 is a wonderful book in that respect. 6 months ago, I read about 100 pages and dropped it there because it was too much to take. I was not moving forward, as I used to read the same thing several times, trying to make sense out of it, thus getting lost in thoughts, which would be entirely unrelated at times. Started again and this time also facing the same problem at page number 200. The whole book is so crazy and too full of balderdash! If only every book was written that way, then this book would appear very ordinary & sensible. That's the whole point. Sense or nonsense is all subjective, like sane and insane. Why are some people called insane, because they are different. But the same insane people might think that the rest of the world is insane and they are sane. It is the majority that matters. Just because majority of the people think insane people to be insane, they are branded insane and treated. Same way, something utterly nonsense can make sense if majority thinks that it is sense. So, it is just the matter of perception and perspectives.


Coming back to the lower level questions, as I haven't written yet as to what are they. Some of them are "Why do humans get bored? do all humans get bored at some times, or only some humans get bored all the time, or all the humans would feel bored at some time or the other? do animals & birds also know what it is to get bored? How to find out?", "What drives some human beings to look for quality and perfection in everything? is it a problem?", It definitely is, when one is not with the majority. Like I wrote in the first para, any particular thing can make sense only when you are with the majority, dear reader. There are some more questions, "We come we go, why do we struggle so much? can life be made simpler? why did God bless(or did I hear curse, from inside?) humans with an endless capacity to think?" I am too tired of thinking to find answers to these.


By the way, what am I trying to convey with this post? don't know as yet. If any of you who've read till the end can make out, kindly let me know. I'll be grateful to you for sometime at least, till I write the next blog, though not for the rest of my life. If you can't make out, drop it. Probably you are not the chosen one. I warned you in the first line itself, inspite of that, it was your choice to read it.


Comments:
hey aparna,
U know i felt like someone myself when i was going thru u'r postings, i also keep thinking sometimes like whatever u have written, i feel sometimes why is that we are born and what are doing right now,y are we strugling like this if only at the end that we are going to die??hahhah sounds absurd, but this is what i feel and i have not found the answer yet, hahhahah, i hope i am not bugging u.
 
Hi Shree,
I don't think I know you. Can you please introduce yourself?
 
Hi
U seemed to be in a bad mood when u wrote this blog.
Firstly if our ancestors werent thinking we wouldnt have been here to think about thinking.Scientists and artists derive their greatest pleasure by thinking.
The only alternative to thinking is living a animal like life and not to choose..
It doesnt matter whether world makes sense or not. But it does matter that u ask questions about it. As a child do u remember that though u asked questions u never got bothered too much if u didnt get the answer.we felt we would know the answer sooner or later. "why earth moves " made newton discover gravitation. If we keep that child like wonder we had I guess we would never be sad or mad that we didnt get answer.
Sorry if I sounded too preachy and argumentative.My not being a blogger is my excuse.
If u have something to say mail me at prithvinarayan@rediffmail.com
 
Hi Aparna,

It is soooo good to see that people ask these kind of questions.... Well, to start of with the answer to all the questions which you have asked is within YOU... The ancient scientists of our land (rishi's) documented all the facts of the universe which is known as vedas. The question here is what was their thought process which made them realize all the secrets of creation? First, they started thinking and thought for years and years and failed to gain any answers, the reason being, when you think you are in a state that you want to reason everything. Then the ego comes into picture (ego is something which makes you believe you are separate from the supreme conscious).... and when there is separation the seeking stops. The key which they found to the treasure was to be a Seeker than a reasoner.

When you become a seeker you surrender yourself completely to the supreme saying "I don't know, i don't understand, show me who i am, who you are?" that is when the profound stage of meditation starts and the creation strips itself in front of you and tell you... this is what i am...... the answers lies within us... for a true, authentic seeker the answers are revealed.

"Madaatma sarva bhootatma" meaning... i am a miniature universe.. everything to anything lies inside me......

This is what Arjuna realized, we always tend to think that krishna magnified himself into this huge creature and enlightened arjuna... In reality Krishna represents the supreme conscious and Arjuna represents true seeker, the weapon which krishna has is "Sudarshana", the weapon which makes you see the truth (darshana). So, when a true seeker surrenders completely to the supreme consciousness, the creation strips itself in front the seeker and says "this is what i am" (the vishwaroopa darshana).

Coming to your another question.. "what is the purpose of life"..... I would like to ask a question.. "how would you like yourself to be remembered as?"

Asking questions is beautiful but, don't get into reasoning... become a seeker and surrender......

Ohh man... i am commenting to this post after 4 years... I just hope i have not bored you.... :)

Regards,
Pradeep
 
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