Reflections

With every passing day, one accumulates multiple experiences over and over again. These transform into lessons, memories, pains & reflections. Hindsight bias is so common that we always the "aha !!" moments multiple times in our lifetime.

Based on my own observations, discussions with knowledgeable people & introspection, I believe all our experiences have a connect or rather a reason which we may or may not be able to fathom. Usually, it has been observed that the impact of the decisions or choices one makes or experiences one has is usually felt after 24-30 months i.e. 2.5 years.

Age does get an illusion (maaya) of wisdom i.e. we think we are enlightened or we are wiser with our experiences. True introspection could be quite dark with startling revelations. Are we really wise?

At a milestone of my own, I am now wondering, what if I went back in time and told myself to be different? What would that be? Let's come to this question a little later. 

Shadripu i.e. 6 vices of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya reveal their heads at multiple junctures of life. While one could engage in the exercise of the brain and more importantly the mind, it is a lifetime challenge to overcome these. 

In modern day, technology can be a boon and quite frankly, is a bane more often than not. Social Media, though being a great influence, lands becoming a catalyst for fueling the laden ambers within the soul. Of course, the question does arise. Why do these sparks catch fire and what can one do to douse them before it consumes self?

While there are no hard rules, one can definitely do what a child does. In childhood, when one is in pain or is sad, usually we sleep in the comfort of our mothers or parents.  Drawing the same analogy, one would be well advised to enter the bosom of spirituality, to surrender ourselves into the ever-open arms of the supreme almighty. Will it solve the problem? Perhaps not. Will it make me feel better? No.

However, it helps to assuage the broken soul a tiny bit & prepares the self for handling the next wave slightly better. Will there be an end to this? Life is a journey and these experiences are like the waves of the ocean. When we do touch the shore, universal rule dictates that we are sucked back into the ocean i.e. ocean of samsara.

Coming back to the question above: If I went back in time, would I have told myself any different say 20 years ago? Perhaps I have a big laundry list. However, when I sit down to write all specifics and why I think I should have been different, a theme emerges. Why did I land up becoming what I am today?

Of course, we make choices and take some decisions based on factors, greed, lack of intellect, lack of direction or what we perceive is the best option ahead. A tiny decision made differently could have lifetime ramifications. As one delves deeper, the quintessential question becomes, who am I? What am I?

Before we can even think of telling our own-self to be any different, we need to introspect oneself. Something to ponder and seriously work upon...