Uncertainty

                                                                

Life is so uncertain. One month back none of us would have even in our wildest imaginations would have believed we are,   where we are today.    We can never predict how the world   changes, whether for what appears to be good  or   bad.

How does this understanding help us? Firstly if we just look back into our life, many of our problems have come due to certainty about something. We were certain that the share we have invested in will double in the next year, we were certain the person we were lending money to will return the money on time, or the person we were sharing our deepest   secrets would keep it confidential. But unfortunately as we have all noticed, our certainty, has some times not played out. The value of the share which we have invested in has fallen occasionally, some of the people we have lent money to dont even pick up our calls.

Similarly many times we   have negative certainty about a situations. We might believe that the worst might happen in the current situation,  infections might increase   etc. But this also we have seen from past experience, has been proved wrong. When we have feared the worst might happen in the past, nothing of that sort has happened and life has moved pretty smoothly most of the rime.

The point being when we have a feeling of certainty about any situation, We don’t even consider the possibility that the situation could turn out other than what we have assumed   we don’t take the required precautions which we should take, which will protect us from an adverse scenario.

Lets look at why this happens. Why the most intelligent of us, assume that something is certain which in retrospect sometimes looks foolish. This is because of the Mind. Our certainties and uncertainties play out in the level of the mind.

The world is a complex place of infinite possibilities. Every person is a complex person with many facets to his nature, some of which we know, some which we don’t know.  The Human mind however has a limited processing  power and can’t comprehend this infinite   and multi faceted possibilities.

To function normally in our day to day life, each one of us has to make assumptions about the situations and the people we encounter. Based on these assumptions we deal with them. Since all of us are intelligent people and the assumptions we have made are mostly realistic assumptions life goes on more or less smoothly.

The problem comes when we don’t realize we have made  assumptions. We thing that whatever we have thought of, is a certainty and things are certainly the way we have decided. In this scenario if things turn out differently from the way we have thought  they would turn out, it gives us a big shock and in extreme cases there are also the chances of a mental breakdown based on the negative consequences of the assumption.

If we just realize that All of us are living our life based on assumptions   then Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says two things can happen Uncertainty can take us into fear or We can rise in joy.

Many people know deep down that life is uncertain . They try to run away from this uncertainty   by trying to create a sense of security by acquiring material possessions, financial assets or through relationships. All the 3 are good and required for a smooth and comfortable life but there could still be a lingering sense of unease due to the uncertainty of life.

With wisdom, Uncertainty becomes a Glorious escape from the prison of our limited perceptions  which have always restricted us. Our assumptions have  stopped us from attaining our full potential. Life becomes a wonder garden of unlimited possibilities, when we drop all assumptions of how people and situations should be.  We will   reduce being judgemental and critical of our self and other people and can truly accept our self and the world  and be at peace

The  Wisdom of the Ancient sages and the Practice of the techniques of Yoga and Meditation which they have given, have helped many people to rise in Joy rather than fall in Fear in the face of Uncertainty.

Particularly during this time of Lockdown when the feeling of Uncertainty in the external world is so obvious, we can use this time to do Swadhyaya or Self analysis. We can look at our deepest assumptions about our self and others and decide which are the assumptions and beliefs that are empowering us and making us and our relationships stronger and which are the ones making us weaker.

What do we really want in life ? What is our deepest purpose in life ? These are some of the questions we can ask our self.  The world post the lock down will be a new world and if we also change our outlook and assumptions, we will come out of this stronger and refreshed . We will be best equipped to be successful and happy in the days to come.