Maze Mastery: The Seeker's Insight

 गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः। गुरुः साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥

Greetings

If you have read the first blog and found a new perspective then maybe you want to get more clues about things happening around you. You may also want to understand the true essence of spirituality and may be you are confused about the seekers, itself because you have seen different versions of them, some engaged in diverse practices, from yoga to devotion to many Deities, some have chosen paths of solitude of being a monk and some have dedicated their lives to humanitarian causes, while others are deeply immersed in intricate spiritual disciplines, and some others are deep into meditation.

You might also have questions about society and its deviations from ideal functioning, about relationships where reality is often concealed behind facades, and even doubts about your own actions, how often they are influenced by circumstances rather than your true desires.

During your journey through the initial stage of being a seeker, you will encounter numerous instances in life where you may be certain that things are not unfolding as they should, yet understanding why and how they have taken this course can often prove to be challenging.

If you take a moment to reflect on the past few years of your life, you may notice that some of the questions mentioned above have held considerable significance to you during specific stages of life. Conversely, there have been times when you've been deeply engrossed in similar actions without questioning them. This suggests that during certain epochs, your inclination to seek spirituality is more pronounced than at other times. Additionally, you might observe that your awareness of these questions has been steadily increasing over time. This is a natural process that happens with all Seekers while they are still searching for Truth.

In this blog, I will endeavor to offer a perspective on a specific factor, which can be labeled as 'attachment' or 'bondage', that naturally leads you astray from your path to seek truth. I will limit myself in this blog to just give a perspective and not a solution as it can vary for every individual.  

Let's explore various examples of attachments in daily life, spanning from subtle to more pronounced levels, often so seamlessly integrated into our routines that they can easily go unnoticed. 

Your Habits

Habits encompass a wide range of actions, both mental and physical, that you engage in regularly due to repeated practice, often becoming second nature. These habits aren't inherently good or bad; their nature can change based on the stage of your life. However, they can certainly lead you to prioritize actions stemming from your habits over other pursuits and act as 'attachment' or 'bondage'. This is because, most of the time, we take action without being aware of the thoughts that initiate them(1: discussed in the first blog). These habits often originate from societal influences, peer pressure, or life circumstances, and they become ingrained in your behavior because you adopted them without contemplation(1).

If you lead a busy life with a demanding work schedule, even seemingly harmless habits can easily divert you from your quest for Truth. The first step you should take as a Seeker is to become self-aware of the various habits that may be leading you away from your desired path. You can make yourself aware of these habits by just creating a list of all habits. In this process of listing habits, it's essential to overlook labels such as good or bad, physical or mental, associated with these habits. 

For instance, some habits can be as simple as waking up late in the morning, engaging in a specific form of leisure over the weekend, or even maintaining a healthy habit like hitting the gym every day. Additionally, since you are already familiar with the process of visualizing your thoughts(1), try to identify your mental habits, as well. These might include tendencies like overthinking the outcomes of certain actions, remembering the past events, or imagining a desirable future. 

Once you've become aware of your habits, it becomes easier to prioritize them in a way that they don't obstruct your pursuits. You can clearly observe how these habits often act as 'attachment' or 'bondage' impeding your progress towards Truth.

In the early stages of their journey, Seekers consciously work on reducing attachments to unnecessary habits and strive for a greater sense of freedom.

Your Beliefs: 

Beliefs can be any information imparted to you by individuals you trust or by society at large. These beliefs wield substantial influence over the way you lead your life. For instance, if you place trust in a newspaper due to its widespread popularity or a recommendation from a close friend, there's a high likelihood that your opinions will be swayed by the newspaper's content. Over time, as you accumulate more and more information from the newspaper, it can come to govern every facet of your life. If the newspaper portrays a particular politician negatively, you might develop a dislike for them. Even if your own experiences indicate the politician's positive impact on society, you may find yourself fixating on their negative actions as presented in the newspaper.

Likewise, if you have been raised within a particular religious tradition since childhood, even if you find certain practices illogical, immoral or detrimental to humanity as a whole, you might find yourself either overlooking or endorsing those practices. These beliefs or dogmas were likely ingrained in you at a stage when critical thinking hadn't fully developed in your life. Furthermore, these beliefs may have been transmitted by society, not necessarily with the intent to corrupt your thought process, but simply because they were widely accepted. During the early stages of a Seeker's journey, these beliefs can easily divert them from the path and act as an attachment that pulls you back from progressing towards Truth. 

Once you realize the potency of these beliefs, the natural question that arises is how to break free from this bondage. Surprisingly, the tool to overcome this was already discussed in the previous blog i.e. Contemplation(1). By simply contemplating on any belief and critically analyzing it, you can assess whether it propels you in the right direction or serves as a hindrance. If it's holding you back in any way, an intelligent person would choose to be free from these 'attachment' or 'bondage'.

In the early stages of their journey, Seekers question the beliefs and dogmas imposed on them, striving to break free from them if they don't align with their own understanding and sense of purpose.

Validation

Validation can be described as any action, whether mental or physical, driven by the sole purpose of leaving a more significant impression of oneself in the minds of others. This innate desire for validation is deeply embedded in human nature, influencing many of our actions on a subconscious level. We seek validation from those closest to us, distant acquaintances, and even strangers we've never met. These validations often become significant attachments in our lives, leading us to prioritize action stemming out of validation over the primary goals of seeking the truth, especially in the early stages of Seeker’s journey.

The pursuit of validation often operates discreetly within our daily actions, often without our conscious awareness. Take, for instance, someone who splurges on a new car not out of practical necessity but to flaunt their financial status. Whether the wealth was painstakingly earned or the purchase fulfills a lifelong dream, or it's acquired without an effort, the pivotal question to consider is whether the action is genuinely needed in the first place. Similarly, individuals may select career paths not because of genuine passion or their compatibility with a fulfilling life, but purely to showcase their intelligence within society. Some may even choose life partners solely for the purpose of elevating their social standing or because societal norms dictate it.

To delve deeper into the mechanism of validation, it often starts with self-perception as inferior compared to an imaginary ideal state. Subsequently, individuals invest their time and resources to attain this ideal state, and once achieved, they reward themselves. Validation operates like an intangible whip, used by a person on themselves. Validation acts as bondage in a person’s life forcing them to do things which are superfluous.

In the early stages of their journey, Seekers ensure they keep themselves free from this attachment, and do not get deviated from seeking Truth. Seekers don’t do all they are capable of, but rather focus only on whatever is necessary.

Relationship

Relationships are among the most intricate and challenging forms of bondage, as they are an inherent part of our existence, surrounding us from birth. Relationships also play a fundamental role in the functioning of society, and so throughout our lives, we continue to form new connections, investing significant amounts of time and emotion. Two prominent reasons that bind people in relationships are their safety, either in their early years or later in life when they take on responsibilities for other’s safety.

Typically, an individual only begins to realize their desire to become a Seeker, to make the most of their time on Earth and seek something that transcends death, around the age of thirty-five. This realization often occurs after they have secured their basic necessities i.e. acquiring the skills to generate income for food, establishing a sense of safety for survival, and fulfilling their sexual desires. However, by this time, many people find themselves entangled in various relationships, such as caring for aging parents, raising children, or repaying lifelong loans and so by this time it is too late to seek the Truth with full potential.

For seekers in their early stages, questions about their life choices and a sense of confinement within existing relationships often arise. During this phase of life, guided by their Guru and through contemplation on life decisions, they learn one of life's most crucial lessons: accepting life as it is, rather than expending energy on matters beyond their control.

From this point onward, seekers approach new relationships with discernment, allowing only those who can aid them in their quest for Truth to come closer. This doesn't imply evasion of responsibility; on the contrary, they adeptly fulfill their roles as lover, parent, daughter, son,  citizen or employe without expecting reciprocity. Seekers choose to serve unconditionally, embodying the true essence of love, recognizing that each condition comes with its own accompanying responsibilities. As a result, seekers often cultivate some of the most gratifying relationships because their love is boundless and free from conditions.

A seeker breaks the chain of give and take in society which is vital for sustenance of any relationship, by not accepting anything in return. Thus seekers liberate themselves from the confines of relationship by accepting and not expecting.

Happiness

From the topics discussed above, it becomes evident that humans spend their lives serving various attachments, such as following habits, practicing beliefs, maintaining relationships, and seeking validation, among others. While this list is not exhaustive, it encompasses many facets of life. When we reflect on the generations that have come before us, it becomes apparent that a significant portion of them has also been bound by these attachments. This suggests that the attachments we've explored may serve a greater purpose in life.

Indeed, these attachments often lead to happiness, and as a result, generations preceding us have strived to achieve happiness. Consequently, major societal forces, such as governments, craft policies aimed at promoting the happiness of their citizens, and corporate products are designed with the intent of bringing happiness to consumers. It seems evident that all human actions are driven by the pursuit of happiness, so seeking happiness itself is an attachment. However, we must question whether these actions genuinely bring happiness or if they are, in fact, part of a grand illusion.

To comprehend this illusion, it's essential to scrutinize the mechanics of desire, its fulfillment, and the ensuing emotions it triggers. Consider this scenario: Reflect on a day in your life when you experienced prolonged hunger, igniting a strong desire for food. Upon finally satiating your hunger, you likely experienced a surge of happiness. In this specific moment, delve deeper: Did your happiness arise from the act of eating or the cessation of the mental pursuit to fulfill your desire? If it's the former, eating should consistently bring you pleasure, yet we know it doesn't when you're already full. However, if it's the latter, you should invariably experience happiness whenever the mental chase ceases to exist. Extend this contemplation to other instances, such as the yearning to reunite with your romantic partner. You instantly feel joy upon their arrival. This doesn't imply that being with your partner guarantees perpetual happiness, but rather that, in that moment, your mind's pursuit of chasing a desire comes to an end. 

Upon reflecting on this for a day or two, you will no longer consider it mere speculation but will conclusively conclude that happiness doesn't emanate from the action or its outcome; it arises from the absence of desire. Every desire, in fact, is a source of unhappiness and throughout the past million years, humanity has predominantly believed that external actions lead to happiness, rather than focusing on the management of desire.

A seeker grasps this fundamental truth early in their journey that their true nature is bliss, and they strive earnestly to know who they really are.

In this blog, I have endeavoured to provide you with a perspective on how seemingly innocuous actions can inadvertently dictate your every life choice in search of happiness. Instead of living your life authentically, you may find yourself constrained by numerous attachments, often without realizing it. These attachments have the potential to lead you astray from the path of seeking truth. However, through contemplation, you can discern which actions are superfluous, which are essential for life, and where acceptance without expectations is necessary to be happy. Over the course of just a few years, you can progressively diminish your bondage, increasing your freedom and drawing closer to your authentic self.

By continuing to follow these blogs, you will gain deeper insights into your own nature—how you operate and who you truly are. Through contemplation, you can address profound questions that will aid you in achieving a state of profound bliss, emanating genuine love, and becoming a source of joy for those around you.