Three States

What are the three states of human beings delusion? It’s easy for someone to say that I have given up the luxury of life to come into spiritual but have they done it really? It’s extremely tough to actually give up on life’s goodness and pain.
The three states a person goes through are pleasure, worthlessness and pain. You may be in any one of these states and still you haven’t moved an inch in the spiritual so plod on.
What makes you move in any one of these states? It’s called the mind and that is the toughest cookie to crumble.
Let’s take an example here. You have retired or resigned from service. Some person said some wonderful things about you when your send off came. They all came and eulogized you. Praised your beautiful service rendered to the organization and the way you mentored others. You were so full of yourself and cried at the mention of your exemplary services. It was a heart rendering moment for you. The greatest pleasure anyone can get in their entire career. They presented you with a memento and flowers and everyone drank to your good health. You preserved those memories forever.
But now came the worst moment of your life. You went back to your own chair, now occupied by a much younger person. He welcomed you but the moment you asked for some papers for processing like your gratuity or pension. He balked at you and asked you to come some other day. You went back many times and still you were treated like some outsider. Your entire being wilted and cringed. You were never such a bad employee. You helped everyone out. You were so very courteous and kind. Your compassion was talked about. But now what has changed? You are being treated like a pariah and some outsider. You can’t get anyone to help you. No one is a friend there. It took you over 20 visits, hundreds of phone calls and using the strongest of the pulls to get your silliest work done. You regret working there. You have become do dejected and feel so deprived of love now.
So how did the happiness turn into sudden sadness? What made the change of feeling towards your employer? Why did your bubbling with euphoria and excitement become so flaccid and fade out? Is it the treatment meted out to you?
You now move towards dispassion and detachment. You become completely still and silent. Your contemplation begins and you realize the futility of it all. You understand life is full of ups and downs and there is no point in feeling bad or good. Let’s just feel numb and useless. The futility of it all can be experienced by you now. You know the service rendered to your employer was paid in full by your salary. You weren’t doing anything great. Were you not compensated well? So what is the big deal you did in your job? It was just a business transaction. You were expected to work that way. You never owed anyone anything at all and neither did they. The company paid you for what you gave so it’s just a transaction and business.
Next your new incumbent doesn’t owe you anything at all. He is doing his job for the company and nothing else. You are just another old employee he has to deal with anyway. So why do you expect a royal treatment or compassion from him. It’s just a job which pays his bills and brings food to his table and you are in no way contributing towards it. You are just another number or inconvenience to him. He has to do some additional work for your sake. Why should he indulge you?
The dispassion which was the resultant came about after seeing how futile life is and then doesn’t it strike everyone for that matter who go through such a condition? So what is the big deal there too? Thinking about all of the above you concluded that the whole world is materially motivated and nothing is eternal. No sorrow or laughter too. Everything is so very temporary and unreal. You turned spiritual suddenly! That makes you spiritual?
Of course you had read in so many ancient texts and scriptures that that’s what it is. You have now become dispassionate and detached in life. You have understood how to know discrimination also. Now reaching God will be easy and so you trust you have completed your journey into the domain of godliness. You start giving lessons on how and why’s of life. You grow a round halo over your head. Life is fulfilling and rounded well. You read books on Buddhism, Sufi, Bibles, and Zen also. You attended all kinds of yoga and meditation classes. You now teach youngsters too about those. You met many gurus and sages and visited all holy places. You have travelled a lot. You are now a realized sage.
So who told you all that rubbish? Your own mind? Or some so called sage you met at the convention of religious leaders? Or did you get the feeling that there is nothing to know anymore now? So you used your own yardstick and assessed yourself that you are now a saint? So you know to perform some tricks and the people believe it’s magic? You know how to produce ash and gold chains? You know to talk on Vedanta and rare spiritual texts! Wow! I am amazed at your acumen and dexterity of sageness. You deserve to be in the company of the Pope and Dalai Lama.
So that’s how you believe spiritual looks like? Know that the true spiritual sages never have an agenda of name, fame or fortune. They have no use of worldly or even spiritual knowledge. They are not swayed by either. Spiritual texts have no part in their world. Their knowledge doesn’t come from texts or scriptures. They have no desire to reach anywhere, even Godhood. Least of all, they consider magic or miracles as worthless. Producing ash or gold trinkets is of no use.
Spiritually perfect beings are unmoved by happiness and sorrow too. They don’t bother about dispassion or detachment also. They are actually full of all that. Think why would a diamond want false illumination or sun want a torch? Why would saints need endorsements or approvals? Why would they join religious groups? Why would they tell someone to join yoga or meditation classes? So stop being a jerk and know that your mind is working overtime and shut up.
The best part is to become human. That’s the toughest part. You see, don’t try to become something or someone you aren’t. Just be who you are and do a good job doing that alone. Stop emulating someone. Be yourself. Your true Self.