Life is a funny process. Another year ends, and another
begins. The only thing we have guaranteed to take with us is more experience. What
is the quality of our experiences? What have they bought to us? It's important we are clear on what biases shape our psyche so that we are genuinely receptive to the arrangements in the world and our lives in a manner that is independent-minded and true to who we are. With more
knowledge doesn’t necessarily come happiness. Yesterday morning I went to a bar
to watch a mixed martial arts event, UFC 219. Being New Years Eve, there was
practically no one there, but there was a festive atmosphere. I asked the bar
lady whether they were showing the event. She asked for detail and I explained.
She said in her mid-western accent, “Sure we can play it, but there’s gonna be
no sound cos there’s gonna be kiddies comin' soon.” A few hours in, and a lady
came in dressed as a clown, red lipstick covering almost the entire width of
her face, a multi-coloured skirt and a baggy top. It was just me and her at the
bar. Having forgotten about the kids party, I was initially thinking it could be someone with an odd taste, perhaps not all quite up there in the head. I then realised the kids might be having a party, and that it’s probably the clown for the party. We had some
odd exchanges; I initially gave her a concerned look, and she
gave me quite a straight look in return. In the facial exchange it was almost an
exchange being responded to with a confirmation that she was there
for a job. She spent a good half hour blowing up and tying balloons into
different shapes. As it approached noon, many parents began to come in with
their kids. After sitting down and ordering their food, some of the kids would
individually approach the clown and she would give them a small gift. The way
they approached was a stark contrast to how they behaved at their table with
their parents. On the table they made noise, and were comfortable and familiar.
When they approached the clown, they were shy, a little hesitant, but had an
air of excited nervousness, which created a sense of anticipation on how the
clown would react to them. Feeling very happy, they went back to their table
and with great excitement and explained to their parents what they had received. My observing
the clown before any kids were present; she understood I was there to watch the event
on the big screen, and I knew she was there doing her job as a clown. Both as
human beings getting on with activities which we both understood, there was a
level of transparency. This comes about as we grow up and learn about things
one tends to do in life i.e. work to sustain oneself. For the kids however, the
equation was totally different. They have a concept of a clown, not that it’s a
human being who puts some face paint on, some different dress, and presents
themselves as a clown. They just see a clown, and this is what they saw. There was
a huge difference in my reaction, interaction, and what I got out of the clown
verses what the children got from the clown. For them, it made almost a magical
experience, for me the clown was just a distraction.
Selectiveness
As a kid in the UK, pre-Christmas holidays were some of the
best times. I recall waiting for the TV guide when newspapers and magazines
would publish what would be on TV, and the Christmas Eve, Day and New Years Eve
and Day would have amazing films on, which coupled with food, family and games
would make for an incredible time. The anticipation factor in this was huge.
Seeing which films were on, following the football games over the period, and
finally the anti-climax of going back to school. Films are now on tab online,
as is almost any commodity. The interactional element cannot be commoditised,
but our mentalities can drift that way. Getting a football shirt when at school
as a gift, then showing it to everyone at school was a big deal. When we are older we can
have all of those things, however the bliss perhaps isn’t the same as a kid
receiving them. Faith and knowledge have an interesting relationship. The magic
of Christmas, takes faith to believe in it. In the same way I dissected the clown in
my head, if we dissect Christmas using logic, according to the way we
celebrate, there isn’t much of a link. Christmas is a celebration of the birth
of Christ, who was effectively from the Middle-East, and by no stretch of our
imagination anything to do with the West. In fact, Jesus was geographically closer to Africa and India than he is to the West. So why not represent Jesus in this way as a clearly having Middle Eastern origin? Why
the Santa Clause? Reindeer, and so many other things? This is selectiveness. I enjoy the Christmas
spirit as much as the next person does, but it’s things we create in our heads
and put faith in, and therefore feel a certain way about Christmas. A few weeks
ago, there was a documentary about a baby elephant stuck in a hole in India. The
person taking the video went very close to the elephant to the point you would
very clearly see the elephants eyes, mouth, tongue and trunk in great detail.
We are typically used to seeing elephants from afar, however seeing it from close gives
much more realisation of how real a creature it is. The sound of an elephant is
over 100 decibels, which is as loud as a jet flying 1,000 feet in the sky and they
weigh up to 7 tonnes. I guess this is
what the term “up close and personal” also relates to. The elephant was so
real, but yet so unbelievable as a species. If we had no idea that such a thing
as an elephant exists, and someone purely gave a description, I have little doubt
many people would easily dismiss it.
Though technology and society are moving with pace, even
to the extent they are fast changing human psychology, habits and motivations,
there is a “naturalness” to connecting with existence and embracing that there
are many things we simply cannot understand through our limited perceptions and
misplaced faith in things. There
is a sense of open mindedness that comes with mentally being aligned with natures many manifestations and learning to live our lives in a way that has a greater sense of harmony with
these. This way we will experience the bliss of a child rather than distraction of an adult.
The mind is the
instrument for feeling different material experiences, but intelligence is
deliberative and can change everything for the better. The intelligent person therefore
can attain salvation from the illusion of material existence by proper use of intelligence. The Vedas
