Wednesday, November 07, 2007

The cake's perspective

I once thought the only way to be happy was by achieving something, making my name and reaching somewhere. But now my perspective is different. I see what needs to be done, what I feel like doing and try doing it with all my heart and extract happiness out of doing things this way alone.

To make this clear let me give you a small example. Take the case of me eating a cake. My earlier perspective towards it was this. The cake is a sweet thing. Eating it will give ME happiness. So I want to eat the cake and I want to be happy. But I now look at things in a different perspective. That is the cake's perspective. The purpose of the cake is to be eaten and relished by someone. It has to create happiness in whoever eats it. It needn't necessarily be me. Once someone eats it and becomes happy, I am happy. Because the best purpose of the cake has been served in the best possible way. It doesn't matter if I eat it or someone else eats it at all, when you look at things in the cake's perspective. So, if you step out of yourself, and start looking at the world "in the cake's perspective", life becomes a lot more meaningful and enjoyable. The restlessness to find something and do something is gone. You can start taking life as it comes. You just hang around and make sure all the cakes are eaten by people who like eating cakes, and once in a while it is you. And slowly you realise one thing. You yourself are a cake! You yourself exist to create happiness to the people around you! The world will make sure that you are consumed and relished to the fullest extent. You have nothing to search for and nothing to find. Things will happen by themselves if you just take care of yourself and make sure you have a good time.


The Choice of Purpose and the Way of the Peacock!

Someone I know once said, "It is only fair that we get 'Credit' for what we do and it ain't worth doing otherwise. People who do things without getting the credit have a bad attitude."

I was also of this opinion for most of my life. But, recently I found out something which changed the way I looked at things. Should people get credit for the work they do? In all fairness yes. But should that be the purpose behind choosing what they do?
No. Because if you think about it the 'purpose' behind some of the best things that people have done is not 'Credit', 'Money', or 'appreciation' from others. Mozart didn't compose his music for money; when he died he was a poor man! Did Einstein put forth his theories to win the Nobel? No he was crazy abt physics from childhood!

When I first went to see a cricket match I couldn't help wondering "how is this batsman guy able to focus on a ball whizzing towards him at 90 miles an hour, when thousands of people are staring and shouting at him and everything is projected on this giant screen?" Then I got it. "He is not playing FOR them. He played cricket in the streets because he liked the game and was passionate about it. When he got those glorious strokes right they gave him such a high. He is bathed in this JOY: and THAT is his 'purpose.' That is all he cares for. This joy intoxicates him and makes all the crowd and noise disappear and he sees only the ball! But if he played for 'Credit' he will be worried about the fans -- what they think -- and get hit on the head on the first bouncer."

Please note that this is not a 'resign to my fate' attitude. "What can i do if someone else takes the credit?" this is not my point. My point is that we focus on that, which gives us the best, truest most wholesome happiness. Do not curb the flow of joy and sense of accomplishment you get by attaching strings and conditions to it.

You do things because you believe in finishing them honestly and seeing them done. How can anyone else stop you from that? This joy is so pure and genuine that what anyone else thinks need not affect it at all.

There is no need to care about what he thinks', she thinks, he says, she says. I do that, which gives ME joy. I believe in doing things for the reason why "The Peacock Dances." It doesn't want to be photographed or made the National bird! It dances for the JOY of dancing in the spring. And THAT makes it beautiful.

So the very desire for credit is a distraction in our deed. Politicians rule the country FOR money and credit. See what happens there!

The best people do it for the JOY. Credit is only a superfluous byproduct!