PASSING CLOUDS

Life has an up stroke and a down stroke. If it is flat, it is not life. It signifies death. Example to this is an EKG tracing. World of duality that was created from Unity has as its very nature the ups and downs. We get elated when things are going well our way and feel dejected when they are going the other way.

These ups and downs that are the very nature of life and living will cause lot of stress and strain, if we do not have the right attitude. If we take this as abnormal and feel we are singled out for the problems in the world (self pity and victimized feeling), these problems will hurt us and cause great pain. On the contrary if we take these ups and downs as natural sequences of life and living, the very same problems does not affect us negatively.

So it is not the ups and downs or problems in life that cause pain and suffering, but our attitude to these that is responsible for this. For a sedentary horse to race is stressful and for a race horse to stand quite and still is stressful. It is not running or standing still, it is its attitude towards the event that makes the difference.

The central piece in this is our ego. As long as this ego (mind’s identification with the body) is strong, all things that happen to us, we take personally as our strength and weaknesses. As a result we go through pain and suffering alternating with elation and joy depending on the phase of our life then.

There is a better way to handle this as they really are. Only thing we have control really is on how much effort we can put. That is it. Results are determined by several factors that we do not have any control. After putting 100% effort, we should accept results as they are. This putting effort with zero expectation. Accept the results as a gift and be pleasantly surprised. This does not mean that one should  sit lazily and have no goals, planning and effort. It only means having a goal, plan and execution with 100% effort and accept the results gracefully whatever they are, as a gift.

 This is nishkama karma (selfless action). This is the essence of Karma Yoga. This is what it means by witnessing, where in we watch the results of our actions dis-passionately as a witness. This witnessing is also called, Living in NOW or in constant Integrated Awareness. In other words we bring presence to life, awareness to life. We become the spectator to our life’s drama.  We become  the actor, spectator that is enjoying the acting  the given role and also enjoy the skill of the script writer and the director. This called Constant Integrated  Awareness of life.

In this state we see all problems as passing clouds and as a result we do not feel the pain and suffering one normally feels when things are going down. When things going right also, one does not get too elated. They will feel these good times are also passing clouds. Thus they maintain an even keel. This is Buddha’s Madhye Marga or Krishna’s Sthitapraajnatva.

We should remember to say “passing Clouds” when going through good times and remember to say “passing clouds” when going through tough times. Then life will be full of joy and happiness in all times good and bad. Passing Clouds is the mantra of enjoying the present and overcoming adversity. Remember to say PASSING CLOUDS.