Striking a New Trail – Catalytic Action towards Happiness for All.

This beautiful, blue marble of a planet is racing across space with dignity. Do we match it in dignity and, hence, deserve to belong to this planet? Obviously, We don’t! The reasons are clear too. Can we do something to change the scenario?

If we look at the degradation of human conduct in terms of the abominable destruction of themselves and of their animal brethren, the situation is far from satisfactory. While it is possible to have a very caring humanity that respects all living beings and the environment, what is happening is, obviously, a far cry. We can do something about it if we understand what it is to strike a new trail and not fall along the conventional path – the path of self-serving attitudes governed by mindless competition and callousness.

The fundamental reason for the sad state of affairs is the fact that the vast majority of human beings is living at the surface flutter of consciousness and rarely, if at all, sense the beauty of its deeper contents. The externalization of the mind through indulgence in the conventional values is sweeping across humanity and people fall an easy prey to that wave. The merely excitement-oriented cultures cannot but succumb to it. The practice of religions too toes the same line and feed the ego. Once we sense this, we begin to veer away from the well trodden road and strike a new trail. This does not mean that we shirk our responsibilities or antagonize any one. It means that we no longer run with the crowd but take stock of ourselves and observe matters from insightful perspectives. The primary factor here is the deepening self-awareness whose essential by-product is the unqualified compassion and the feeling of sacredness in all relationships.

A practical issue that can help us in this matter is the difference between joy and satisfaction. The primary difference between them is to be seen in the fact that while satisfaction is largely ego-driven, joy is only marginally touched by the ego. To be in a job that one loves to do is to value joy over satisfaction, the latter being based on chasing money or similar ego-based values. There are other similar issues for reflection and self-transformation towards a holistic life. Once we see the soul-value behind joy, we automatically strike a new trail for ourselves and no longer feed the collective consciousness with the values that degrade human beings.

The eagerness to understand what lies beyond the conventional activities is the starting point for striking a new trail. The following paragraph from the book “Krishnamurti’s Journal” published by Krishnamurti Foundation India brings up some vital issues to be reflected upon.

“The tree is cut down and you shed a tear. An animal is destroyed for your taste; the earth is being destroyed for your pleasure. You are being educated to destroy, man against man. The new technology and machines are taking over the toil of man but you may not end sorrow through the things that thought has put together.”

Do we want to be part of this thoughtless and callous rigmarole? Reflective people sense a seriousness about making a clarion call to people reminding them of the madness in which humanity is caught. That is when they see the greatness of joy as a transformer in contrast to the demand for satisfaction as a destroyer. Once we strike a new trail, life becomes enriched for oneself and others because self-transformation inevitably affects the collective consciousness. Then, when the last day comes, we can leave with a completeness feeling. The book “In Quest of the Deeper Self” deals with similar matters as above. Details can be found at the website http://spirituality.yolasite.com .