Usually, the word DISENCHANTMENT (in hindi – Udaaseen) is looked at in a negative sense, like being disappointed, or sad, or dull. It seems like this is not a negative word at all. In fact, understanding it takes us to true joy it seems.
The ordinary way that we humans live is, getting enchanted, with this, with that, that is how we grow in our experiences, and learn from the errors on the way. Which is also an evolutionary requirement, for as long as we have inertia/tamas in us. We tend to get settled in our little safe, comfortable zones, and begin to stagnate. So, there, it is necessary that I get enchanted by something ‘out there’ and follow it, pursue it, and have the growing up experiences on the way.
But as we grow forward in our life, it seems that it becomes essential for the practical realisation to dawn, that nothing is permanent in this life, fleeting moments, fleeting meetings, fleeting good and bad experiences… And hence I cannot base my joy and happiness on any ground ‘out there’. There is no stable ground.
Whatever relationship, or workplace, or dogma, or opinion, or life situation I make as a stable ground for my happiness, the rug will be soon pulled away from beneath my feet and I will be groundless again.
So, when we have had enough experiences like this – the rug being pulled apart from beneath our soles, and the feeling of abandonment, going through all that shakiness, the insecurity, the fear….It is a very auspicious sign. We must allow ourselves to go through all this…
We must allow ourselves to get disenchanted from the material world, from the world of manifestation. To realise that nothing can give us lasting joy here, nothing can be a stable basis of joy, in this material existence.
And that realisation is very liberating. It liberates you from the bondage and ties of relationships and other things in a sense that – You can give me happiness.
I know you can’t. And I take off the burden from your shoulders to give me lasting happiness.
How liberating, for the other person, and for you!!
When we have truly a practical realisation like that, we come back home to ourselves. How nice! We are home with the breath and the body. The mind is back home, after wandering for ages. And finds an intimate friendship within and with the present moment, irrespective of outer situations.
And when the mind is home, we see that there are so many things one can be grateful for!
Grateful for having this human body first of all! and the list could endlessly go on.
So, we ourselves become available to many many conditions of joy and happiness, when the mind comes back home.
As Rahim ji says,
चाह गई चिंता मिटी, मनुआ बेपरवाह। जिनको कछु नहि चाहिये, वे साहन के साह
My worries/anxieties and desires have got eliminated. My mind is free now, it doesn’t bother much. The ones who don’t desire anything from this material existence, are the kings of kings.
We are all kings, if only we can leave our stubbornness to be beggars.
Only then we can offer ourselves to benefit of others and ourselves, and this existence. Now that I know I can gain nothing from this material existence, let me offer myself to the benefit of others and myself.
From a world of fleeting existence, impermanence – one can expect nothing, but fleeting somethings. That’s it. And that has the power to liberate us from the bondage of past ties, future worries, hopes and fears and present discontent from our present relationships with the world.
TheGiftOfCancer 