These few weeks let us analyze the life of great souls & try to understand their different approaches towards life. There is a good deal of similarity between Christ’s concept of neutrality, Buddha’s idea of indifference, Mahavira’s transcendence of attachment and Krishna’s non-attachment. These are the ways of looking at and meeting the world. But there are some basic differences too. While their end-points are similar, their approaches are very different. While their ultimate goal is same, they differ much in the ways and means they use to achieve their ends.
There is deep similarity between what Christ calls neutrality or non-alignment with the world at large, and what Buddha calls indifference to it. As the world is with all its strange goings-on, its contradictions and conflicts, its struggles and trials, a seeker on the spiritual path will do well to keep a distance from it. But we must remember, neutrality can never be blissful. Deep down it makes us sad. If I don’t choose life, if I reject it completely, if I say I take neither this nor that, and then I will soon stop flowing, I will stagnate. If a river refuses to move in any direction, it will cease to flow, it will stagnate. It will turn into a closed pool. It is true that stagnant pool of water too will reach the ocean, but not in the way river reaches it. It will first vaporize under sun and then into clouds and then descend on the ocean in the form of rains. It will not have the joys of river, pushing its way to ocean, singing, dancing, and celebrating.
Buddha’s indifference is silent, peaceful and quiet. Buddha is never sad; he is just quiet, serene and silent. If he lacks the dance of Krishna, and secret bliss of Mahavira, he is also free of sadness of Jesus- sadness for the suffering of masses. Buddha is utterly settled in his peace, his silence. Buddha has attained to indifference, which is different from neutrality. He has come to know that everything in life, as we know it, is meaningless, so nothing now is going to disturb his peace. Every alternative, every choice in life is same for him. So his stillness, his calm, his peace is total. Buddha has attained to absolute choicelessness. For him nothing is good or bad, right or wrong, black or white. For him summer and winter, day and night, pleasure and pain, laughter and tear are the same. For him choicelessness is the choice!
More analysis will follow coming week!
Wishing you good health & happiness,
Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation- the stress management people
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