From some days a thought kept repeating in my mind after seeing certain situations in life of others and mine. We jail ourselves in our invisible bindings and we don’t even realize it. This thought reminded me of the story in Indian mythology about “Kalpataru tree”.
In short, story is about a businessman on one of his errands to far away country who gets lost in mysterious jungle. He accidentally finds a Kalpataru tree, it is a tree which turns thoughts into reality. Now the businessman is very tired and he thinks about if he could just have bed to sleep on and a bed comes into vision just around. Then he wishes for water and food as he is very hungry, that also comes to him. Now his basic needs are satisfied he thinks about the strangeness of the situation but ignores it. He wishes for a girl who would satisfy him and so does the girl come and satisfies. After he is satisfied he finds himself doubting the situation, thinks what kind of black magic is this, and would it make the girl abandon him.
The girl abandons him and goes away. Next he is depressed and thinks if the food and comfort would disappear, it does. Now he is scared and thinks of ghosts. Ghosts do come there. Then comes a horrible thought in his head, would the ghost eat him? and the ghost does!
Thoughts matter and is the reason for the chains we put ourselves in. He could have thought why his wants are getting complete or tried to find the reason behind it, instead when his wants were complete he fears losing them and starts thinking negative and jails himself in his own negative thoughts.
In real life, we ask four simple questions
Are we chained?
we need to ask this ourselves once in a while. Self observation answers the question. We often get easily attracted and distracted. It is very hard to determine what is want and what is unwanted. In this chaos we start hoarding not just the things but thoughts too. I remember a guy whose room was full of old newspaper and thoughts full of each and every detail of neighbor around the block even their car numbers. At the end we have so much crap in our head, we are unable to search for or find happy feelings in the mess.
What are the chains?
Chains are very hard to realize. To find them you need to go near your fear and attachment or combination of both. I have seen so many people clutching to their unsuitable partners because they have fear of finding anybody else in life. I had a checks shirt which I liked very much. It became short after some years and worn out I couldn’t wear it outside and felt uncomfortable in it. Still I kept it for five years in my closet as it gave me good memories and I had a fear I would not find another one like it, this attachment made me hope that I will wear it again someday and I will look good. Instead it is just another chain, shirts like these occupied space in my closet, I never wore them and whenever I wanted to wear to look good I didn’t have new and good clothes even if my closet was full of clothes. Unless I give up the old crap no new clothes I buy and I am imprisoned in my chains.
We need to let go unnecessary thoughts and attachments out of our life to create space for the new and important thoughts but with no attachments. Attachments form because of the fear. love doesn’t know any fear.
How to unchain continued in Part-II
