Sunday, March 13, 2011

We and Our “பாவனைகள்” (Expressions)

I do not know the exact English word for பாவனை.Let me use the word expression to represent the word பாவனை for the purpose of this posting.

Each one of us is expressing ourselves in unique manner. We tend to take this expression as ourselves. In other words we create mental images of ourselves and others based on our/their expression. In this way, we refuse to see the real nature of human being, instead we tend to give all our attention to just the expressions which are based on the images we creates about us, others and environment – which never can be a truth, due to the very nature of the way those images are created within our mind. In other words, we gauge others based on these expressions appearing out of illusion and plan/direct our entire life based solely on these illusions. Of course, we have to have understanding of these expressions to carry on our day-to-day life to certain extent for our materialistic requirements, but the irony is that we make the foundation of our entire life onto these illusionary expressions.

If we look around, the problems of entire humanity (and beyond) are due to the expression of humanity. The expressions of others are the cause of our problems, the expression of ours are the cause of problems to others. The greatest man made disasters are due to the expressions of human beings, imaging themselves as intellectuals, knower of truth, saviour of society, revolutionist, spiritualist, and such limitless ways of expressions. Even writing this blog posting itself is certain way of expression based on certain images.

The real nature of human being is beyond all these expressions. If we want to see a real human being, we must look in to some body, stripping off their expressions. Is it possible for us to look into others stripping-off all their expressions? If we can do that, we know the entire humanity. Until then, our statement that I know my wife/husband/father/mother/son/daughter/friend/enemy/…. is just an illusion. We really don’t know any of them. We just know (very) few expressions of them towards us, which can change at any time either by itself or reaction to our expression towards them.
Our expressions also are reaction to the expressions of others, which can change at any time. Hence there is no way to predict how do we express ourselves at any point of time. In fact we are spending almost all our energy to shape our expressions based on certain images we have about society, culture and others. It is because neither we know ourselves nor know humanity without these expressions. Hence our entire energy is wasted on these expressions to live in a pool of expression, which is the only thing we know about.

What is the way out? How do we come out of the trap of expressions? Of course we have to have expressions to live our social life, but we should be free from those expressions by being aware of the trap of expressions, by being aware of the fact that the entire humanity is hidden behind these expressions, by being aware of the nature of humanity is entirely different from these expressions. Every one in humanity is exactly the same entity after stripping-off expressions from humanity – There is no difference between you and me, with respect to the foundation on which we are built.

The only way out is that we must strip-off our expressions and look into us as an individual. Is it possible for us to do that? Surely possible, but may be difficult, very, very difficult. It is difficult not because it is far away or it is with somebody else or we need the help of some unknown (to us) entity, may be called as God. It is difficult just because we are immersed deep within our expressions– expressions that are built upon our belief, fear, and so on, but not aware of them. If we are aware that our expressions are made up of our belief, fear, greed, lack of knowledge, etc., then we can possibly understand the nothingness of whatever our expressions – may it be the expression of educated, may it be the expression of kindness, may it be the expression of knowledge, may it be the expression of a spiritualist, may it be the expression of rationalist, may it be the expression of revolutionist, …………

The very understanding of nothingness of our expressions brings humbleness within us – the humbleness that is not just an expression, but very nature of humanity. Such an understanding burns away all our belief, fear, greed, hate, etc and we know ourselves with out our expressions. At this level we are aware that all our expressions are meaningless, yet we express ourselves as and when required.

When we know ourselves without our expressions, we will also know the entire humanity. The entire humanity must be just as we are. Only the expressions differentiate each one of us. At this level we are already free from our expressions, and hence must be free from the expressions of others also. The expressions of others will not affect us in any way and so are our own expressions. We express ourselves the way required yet completely free from all the expressions of the entire existence. That may be called as bliss!

PS: May I suggest the (Tamil) readers to have a look on the series of short stories posted on the web site of Tamil writer Mr. Jeyamaohan. This series started on 31-01-2011. For an involved reader, these short stories may revel the dimensions of human nature striped off of expressions (பாவனைகள்). the link for his web site is http://www.jeyamohan.in/