Existential Nihilism to Buddhism!

Usually, I do not talk in terms of abstract concepts or any -isms. However, when there are pertinent terms describing what we have in mind, it may be a good idea to at least mention them as a homage to the great thinkers who thought similar thoughts. 

Last evening, while discussing the meaning of life, something became quite apparent to me. The question of "what is the meaning of life" has been bothering me for a while. It bothers one more when one is about to make some decisions (be it a simple one like whether to go for a movie or to the museum or a seemingly more complicated one like which career to choose). 

The search for the meaning of one's life is closely tied to the fundamental search of the "why" ("he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how"...Nietzsche).
The more we search for a meaning in life and the creation, the more we see the lack of one. What if life has no meaning? What if life has no purpose? What if there is no bigger divine plan?  The meaningless of life followed by personal definition of meaning is something that the great thinkers of existential nihilism (like Nietzsche, Sartre and Camus) tried to muse upon. 

Let us take the thought process one more step forward. What happens when we realise that everything is meaningless; every action is meaningless; every event is meaningless? Then in such an understanding where everything is meaningless, nothing is more or less meaningful. The very word "meaningless" implies that there are things which are meaningful. Without the existence of things which are (relatively) meaningful, the word "meaningless" will have no existence! Saving a dying person becomes as meaningful or meaningless as boiling your soup. Every action gets the potential of making us equally happy. 

Let us take one more step. The word meaningful or meaningless also has a strong sense of time embedded in it. I want to focus on meaningful things, things with a "lasting" impact. Meaning of an action or event is always measured by what impact it will create in the future. When everything and every event become of similar importance (or the lack thereof) then "time" won't bother us much. Anything we are doing at present is as meaningful (or meaningless) as anything that may come in the future. So we focus on the present engulfed by what we might be doing. When everything is the same (like every part of a fractal) what is the need of thinking of different parts? Rather, we can just give our undivided focus to the current.  That is one of the major philosophical teachings of oriental thoughts (be it Buddhism or Zen or Taoism or Vedantism).

However, it is one thing to follow a logical flow of thoughts and another to live it. It is one thing to understand it and another to "feel" it. 

A little bit fat!!

In the second half of 2010, I spent six months in Australia where I was hosted by a lovely family with four kids. The second oldest of them, Alice (name changed) was two years old. The family was kind enough to invite me to all their weekend family outings to expose me to the Australian culture. Usually, we would be travelling in one of their big vans with enough space for all of us. This one time, my hostess had an accident and was given a smaller car to drive for a week (by the insurance company). That weekend when we were going out it was me, Alice and her elder brother, James, in the back seat. Space was not enough and James was not happy. Alice tried to calm him down and told something very deep. She told, "what can Amit do, he is just a little bit fat"! Many times we are so quick to judge people and then complain. My father always says that we should try to see the "truth" about objects, persons and events. If we see the truth, we shall see the whole story and there shall be left no avenue to complain! (Please mark that we shall not have to try not to complain, it just would vanish!)

In spite of all this, I complain; sometimes a lot. At least I used to feel so. Today one of my ex-students (who is currently in Ireland)  told that he was talking to a South African origin lady (who has been working in Ireland for few years). Apparently, this lady mentioned that Cape Town is a stunningly beautiful place but the crime and load-shedding are ruining it. My student wanted to know if she was correct. He told, "you have never complained about Cape Town"! I asked, "have I ever complained about any place"? Then I suddenly realised that I do complain. But I complain about people. Never have I complained about places. I have lived in 8 cities so far and I have loved each one of them. 

I felt happy and satisfied with my progress! Out of the three things mentioned by my father (objects, persons and events) at least I have been non-judgemental towards one. Now is the time for me to try to see the truth behind the behaviour of persons as well. Why are they or their actions or their words making me inconvenient (when they do)? Once I "see" the truth I may just notice that (figuratively) they are just a little bit fat!