Shifting our Doors of Perception
One lady called up the fire department and frantically said. 'Sir. I have spent a fortune just a few months ago redoing my garden and ... '
The fire department person asked, 'Where is the fire ma'am?'
The lady continued. 'My husband is already screaming at me for not maintaining the garden well... '
The person from the fire department interrupted. 'Madam, can you tell us where the fire is.' The lady continued, 'Tomorrow. I have called the garden service over for maintenance... ' The man got very impatient and asked, 'Ma'am, this is not the garden service number; this is the fire department. Can you tell me where the fire is. ' The lady said. 'The fire is in the house next door and I don't want your men messing around my garden when they come over."
Just like this lady, who is more worried about her garden when there was a fire raging in her neighbor's house, we are all selfish and insensitive most of the time. She is able to see only her garden, not the fire in the neighbor's house!
All our thoughts are centered only on us. We only see what we wish to see and do. In Sanskrit, we have two terms to explain why we see what we see. Drishti is when we see things as we want them to be. Shrishti Drishti is what we perceive if we can see them as they are. Most often, we have already made up our minds about what we wish to see things only the way our mind wants us to see them.
This is a real incident that has been recorded in history:
When Columbus was approaching the shores of America, his ship could be seen on the horizon a few days before it actually came to the shore. Surprisingly, the native Hindus could not 'see' the ship even though it was on the horizon since a few days. They had never seen something close to what a ship looked like ever before. So, the mind could not comprehend what it could be to the extent that they never even noticed its presence.
The perception of the new object failed to produce any hits in the database of the mind and this led to non-recognition and non-acceptance of the new object.
When we see things as we want them to be, we produce supporting facts for our judgment. We judge first and then we collect arguments to support our judgment. We first decide whether we like a person or not. Then, we collect facts in support of that decision. Only the facts that support the already made judgment are retained. Any facts against the judgment, however many in number, are rejected for one reason or another. We twist our observation to suit our perception. This leads to ignorance and suffering.
99% of the time, your judgment is ready. For example, your son comes home late by a few hours. You make a judgment about him. You are not going to accept any of his explanations. It can't shake your judgment. On the contrary, you will only try to pick the arguments to support your decision. After that incident, whatever he does, you will always be biased by your previous judgment.
Similarly, after living with your wife for a few months, you will create a concept about her. Then, whatever she does, you pick up only those arguments that support your judgment.
The way in which our perception works is very deceiving to us. When a desire is fulfilled, we no longer have joy in its possession. If you look at your own life, you will understand what I am trying to say:
You see your neighbor's brand new Mercedes and you yearn to possess the same car. You work hard, driven by the strong desire to possess the car and in the hope that all your efforts will enable you to buy the car soon.
One day, you are in a position where you can afford to buy the car and you go to the showroom. You are very happy to lay your hands on your Mercedes.
You drive out of the showroom, feeling on top of the world.
Then, you are waiting at the red light and happen to look out of the side-window to see someone sitting in a bright red Ferrari.
All the joy that you had in possessing your new Mercedes just vanishes in a jiffy as the thought creeps into vour head. 'How beautiful this Ferrari is. Only now I have got a Mercedes and now look at this Ferrari!'
All the hours of toil that you invested in the hope of enjoying a new car just pale into the background and all that stands out is the new desire to possess a Ferrari. The ruming starts again in the hope of the future. Hardly a few moments are spent in enjoying the present!
Acquisition makes us solid: we become dull. we take the possession for granted and we stop enjoying what we have. We take all that we have been given including our very life for granted. How many times have we appreciated and thanked Existence for giving us this wonderful life that enables us to enjoy everything? From the morning rising sun to the people who have made our lives so rich, we simply take all these things for granted.
The same feeling applies to what we learn also, all the acquired knowledge or skills. Once mastered, our skills are taken for granted.
Rich people have money but rarely do they have happiness; they are constantly afraid of losing their wealth. Poor people don't have this kind of problem. They are happy to be alive. Their perspective of life is very basic and much larger than money. Of course, poverty brings its own worries, but there will be a certain carefree-ness in poor people, because there is no fear of losing anything! There is nothing to lose! It is a liberating feeling if you really see.
The more you have the more suffering because greater is the fear and insecurity of losing it. So in a way poor people are more peaceful although their poverty pains them at times. I am not saving it is good to be poor, no! I am only talking about perceptions here. Try to understand.
The concept of 'I' and 'mine' bring only misery and suffering. The more one seeks 'mine', the more the burden, the more the suffering. The greed for acquiring something in the future never brings happiness. Enjoyment of what one has, however little it is, at the present moment, brings true happiness.
A beautiful small story:
Once Narada, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God who protects and sustains the Universe, was going to Vaikunta (abode of Lord Vishnu).
On the way, he saw a yogi (man who does spiritual practices) sitting and meditating. The yogi asked Narada, 'Oh Narada, please ask Vishnu how long I have to wait. When will I become enlightened?'
Narada said, 'Surely I will ask' and he went on his way.
Again, on the way, there was one more person who was just jumping and dancing under a tree. He asked Narada, 'Oh Narada, please ask Vishnu when I will have his darshan (appearance),'
He said, 'Please tell Him to grace me. How long should I wait for His grace?'
Narada said, 'Surely I will ask, don't worry.'
Narada went to Vaikunta and came back with the replies.
The vogi asked him what the Lord said.
Narada said, 'The Lord told me that you will have to wait for 4 more janmas (lives of birth and death) to become enlightened. '
The yogi simply fell into depression, 'Oh, 4 janmas! What will I do?' The other man who was dancing, jumping around, asked Narada, "What did God say to me?" Narada said, 'God told me that you have to wait for as many janmas as there are leaves on this tree. Only then, you will become enlightened: only then will His grace come upon you, ' The moment the man heard this, he said 'Oh! That is all right. I don't care how long I have to wait. He gave me the assurance that He will grace me; that is enough'. He started jumping and dancing again. The moment he uttered this, lightning struck and the Divine descended: he became enlightened!
The so-called spiritual man was still caught up in the workings of the mind. of hankering after desires. Even though these may be lofty spiritual desires in the eves of society, these are desires nevertheless. The other man was just enjoying life in the present and did not mind the wait. He was happy with just the assurance that the divine grace would someday lead him beyond. This ultimate trust will automatically lead to fulfillment.
These days, people change things so often. They change their car once in 6 months, change houses once in two years and change even their wives or husbands! This happens because we are never happy with what we have. We think happiness and contentment are connected to things in the outer world. No! It is something that happens within us; it is a state within us irrespective of what happens outside.