A gang of thieves entered a bank to rob it. They made the employees stand facing the wall with their hands on the wall. After emptying the bank vaults, they started taking the valuables such as cash, watch and phones that the employees were carrying with them. One of the employees, on noticing what is happening, gave quickly a cover to his friend who was standing next to him. His friend asked, “Why are you giving me something when the robbers are emptying the pocket?” The employee answered, “I just returned $200 that I owed you.”
We are so cunning. Seekers ask me, “My mind is such a problem. I am not able to decipher how my mind is working. How do I do that?”
It is impressive to know you are observing your mind. Mind is nothing but thoughts. Have you observed that thoughts go on repeating themselves? Ask yourself, why are my thoughts getting repeated? Then you will see, it is because you have not digested the experiences of life. If you eat an apple and don’t digest the apple, the undigested apple creates stomach disorders. Similarly, if experiences are not digested they repeats themselves.
What does it mean to digest the experiences in life?
We have to learn from our experiences how to get the right meaning from the experience. We have to get an uplifting meaning rather than whipping meaning. Then, even through failures, we become richer.
Walt Disney failed many times, but learned the right lessons and hence failure was not frustrating for him. Rather, it was fertilizer for his creativity. Also, one has to learn the art of ending one’s past and not constantly fret and fume over it.
“I went through a divorce and that pains me,” someone said. I said, “Learn to end that incident in your mind instead of carrying it.” You are carrying the burden of yesterday. And hence you are not alert to the present and not sensitive to the present.
The dissatisfaction of the past is polluting the present. Teach your mind to leave the past, let go of the past. Learn from past failures. Let it teach you the right lessons.
What is education?
An ignorant person does not know himself. A learned man is stupid for he knows only from books and not from his experiences. Education helps understanding that happens through self-observation. Our present education system helps us to get employment and earn money. True education helps us to understand our conflict, to understand the stupid ways of our mind, to end our hurt, and thus learn to optimise life and not be a victim to situations.
True education enables you to be not a submissive person or a doormat in your office. Learn to be creative. Learn to grow in your life. Watch your mind deceiving you and then the mind will learn to be creative. Education is just not for giving you livelihood but giving you the art of living wholly and joyously.
When someone disagrees with me, I feel victimised. How do I overcome it?
Learn to connect to people despite differences. If not, you will be trapped in differences. If you can still bond with the person you disagree with, then you are a mature person. Then you are bigger than differences. Such a person will be effective; he is truly an educated person.
