Play life like a game

I recently read this quote by Swamiji on the Black Lotus app:

Somewhere the root cause of our Suffering, is a deep desire for permanence.

Today morning, mind started reflecting on it for reason only known to the universe. after completing meditation and breakfast, as I started to pen down on my digital notepad diary, words started rushing in from the mind through the hands onto the laptop. Once they were done, I felt their written expression more like a post rather than a note and hence share-worthy.

Indeed, just think about how true and deep is the above insight. You suffer if someone doesn’t do things the way you like. you’re desiring to have your way, the supposedly correct way, your likes to be permanent. If someone is no longer the same with you, you suffer. You want to have him the old way; again, desiring permanence.

So, it’s not about just losing your loved ones, your wealth, your things you desperately want to be eternally with you. it’s about anything and everything you cling to (including your expectations, opinion, views etc), you want them to be permanent i.e. never changing, never losing, never to get broken.

So, to not suffer, we need to change our perspective. we need to start liking the change. Everything is constantly changing anyway. The sun, the stars, movement of planets, every single cell in your body, everything keeps on moving, keeps on changing. So why this aversion toward change? why not embrace it. Let the life be considered like a game, a hide-and-seek one, or a treasure hunt. Only when we let the grip of clinging loosen, we can truly participate in discovering the treasure. Only then the discovery will bring the excitement, the joy that we used to experience in childhood with every new thing that came our way.

Somewhere, our curious, childish mind has lost to our ever-afraid, possessive, adult mind. we need to bring that back.

How? You may ask. well, we can start with simple things. simple attachments, everyday quarrels. smaller looking expectations from people around us which trip us off when those aren’t met. “This food is awful! tasteless!” yes it could be missing some salt/spice, but you don’t have to lash out on such a trivial matter. You can be gentle and instead focus on how you can fix. See the challenge in there.

“I want large pieces of mango inside the shake; you know it because this is how I always had it in the past, why are you chopping it like onions for vegetable?” It’s fine. Take it easy. The person can forget. He’s only trying to serve you in his own way, what’s harm in trying that out? Remember, we want to play life like a treasure-hunt? and, if you don’t like it, you always have an option to cut more pieces as per the size you like. You can have mix of both and who knows you might just discover tastier dish.

Only when you are open to new possibilities, the chance of discovering the treasure becomes possible.

Sriman Narayan

Thanks Abhilash with the post image.