Proof of the pudding

How do we prove that something exists? The tree, for example. Can we prove it is there? We see it. Good. That postulates a tree. Can a postulate be proved? Being the first point of reference, it never can.

Let's look again. The cricket ball is red in colour. Can you prove it? Impossible. The sensation of redness is as much our property as that of the ball. Can we prove that a rose smells sweet? No, but it does. Or rather, the way it affects our nose is called a sweet smell.

Relative things can be proved. Your are taller than your brother. This can be proved or demonstrated. Three is greater than two. This can be proved. But can you prove two? No.

Existence is absolute. What is there is there. As of the moment, the set of objects we perceive around us, our jagath, is absolutely in existence, a sensory existence. It is a direct proof by itself; it is pratyaksha.

It is only a small step to understand that this whole universe therefore exists standing on our five senses. And our senses are also part of this world! Amazing, isn't it? If the senses shut down, no way the physical world can exist.

Abracadabra......

To forgive is not divine

When does the issue of forgiveness arise? First there is a hurt. A friend's behaviour has hurt me. (He acted in a way that reduced my value in my own eyes or in others'). 

Obviously the action was unexpected. It has given rise to resentment, which is a feeling. Resentment never goes away, and finds outlet in either of two actions. If I am confident of having the upper hand, it is revenge. If I am not, it is so-called forgiveness. 

This may sound sarcastic, but deep down, in most cases forgiveness is a decision. A decision is a prelude to action (or inaction). Any action is involved in ego-protection. If you ever hear anyone say: "I have decided to forgive him", please laugh in his face. Forgiveness is a state of mind. It is a quality with different strengths in different personalities, like other traits - generosity, straightness, empathy etc. If some situation challenges the level of forgiveness a person possesses, resentment arises. One cannot 'decide to forgive' after that without going through an emotional process that first raises the threshold level of forgiveness in the person as a whole and not related to the particular issue. That is why a challenging situation often leaves a person 'a better man'. He becomes a 'better man' first and then uses it to handle the challenging situation, being left with a 'growth'. . Therefore, decision to forgive cannot be issue-based. 

If you find someone who accepted a great hurt, it is either because he had the capacity to start with. Otherwise the only way he could absorb this great boulder of hurt was by increasing the reservoir of forgiveness itself. That is why it is good to go through a variety of adverse situations. .

God's breath

We all feel babies are divine. Why? because they are innocent, they respond the way they actually feel, they do not know right from wrong, they are so helpless, and so on.

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Are these divine traits? That way even animals are divine. There is hardly any difference between an animal and a baby. Or between a cute little puppy and a cute little baby, if that sounds better.

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I have a different take on the matter. I do not think babies are divine. Divinity is a collection of qualities, of emotional responses, a wish to act in a way that protects others fully. When we look upon a baby and feel 'so good', it is we who are feeling divine at the moment. We are looking at the baby without inhibitions, without strategy, without judgement, with no expectations, full of love, with a will to protect this helpless person to the fullest, with a desire to make him happy, willing to undertake the silliest of antics publicly to win a smile, not disappointed with lack of response.

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Aren't these the traits written in all scriptures as divine traits? When the scriptures say, the divine exists in all of us and we wonder how do we realise that, how do we bring it forth, just think of this example of your own behaviour when you interact with a baby or a child. Personality changes when faced with a baby. It changes to the divine.

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If we behaved like that with everybody, we would be considered unhinged. We know that the baby would not consider us cuckoo, so we indulge in our 'free' behaviour to the fullest with him. Why not be free inside at least, when dealing with an adult? Why not try to think of him as an overgrown baby, much much younger than you. We will be giving the divine inside us more opportunities to appear in the 'real' world and spread the lightness.

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