The first thing that comes into existence is the mind. And the last thing that exit is the mind too. Without developing the mind, I am living a life of futility, no matter how much material wealth are gained.
Not after Death
I wish to share here with you an inspiring poem by Kabir, an Indian Poet, mystic and philosopher who lived from 1440-1518.
While You Are Alive
Friend, hope for the Guest while you are alive.
Jump into experience while you are alive!
Think… and think… while you are alive.
What you call “salvation” belongs to the time
before death.
If you don’t break your ropes while you’re alive,
do you think
ghosts will do it after?
The idea that the soul will rejoin with the ecstatic
just because the body is rotten–
that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with an apartment in the
City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now, in the next
life you will have the face of satisfied desire.
So plunge into the truth, find out who the Teacher is,
Believe in the Great Sound!
Kabir says this: When the Guest is being searched for,
it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest that
does all the work.
Look at me, and you will see a slave of that intensity.
Making Inquiry the Frontline
How does wisdom comes about? To me it starts from being curious or inquisitive. When the mind is inquisitive, the opportunity to inquire is higher. Inquiry tend to allow one to look at things from a wider perspective, if not deeper. Inquisitiveness is not something that is born but rather develop.
There are lots of things to be curious about in life – as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat. I am not referring curiosity to eavesdropping or nosy in other people’s business though it does widen my scope of knowledge, but not wisdom. How do I describe wisdom then? Deriving from the word wise, I will refer wisdom as a new understanding or realization that uplifts, nourishes and expands me. It assist in bringing me closer to the Truth, peace, freedom and also compassion. Anything other than that is non-profitable.
How does inquisitiveness or curiosity comes about? Consider what occurs to the mind whenever a new task is been handled. What will be the first move to get it started? Inquiring. It is a natural process for everyone of us to ponder on “how to”. “How to” naturally leads to the next step – application – applying all our skills and ideas in resolving the matter. In the process, new level of understanding surfaced. There are two kinds of inquiry – responsive and reactive questioning. Reactive questioning is not really a question but rather a complaint. But even then, when the mind settles, we will start to inquire a responsive solution.
Thus, career that promotes creativity can be helpful in developing a inquiring or questioning mind – except that I have to be on the lookout for excessive thinking and analyzing. True wisdom can only come by when I allow inquiring to arise without giving it an answer. In that space of openness, nature unfold itself. It can be now, sooner or later – but it’s fine. There is no rush to wisdom for I can’t anticipate wisdom. Neither can I expect it to arrive at my will. There is no goal-getting here. The journey itself defines the end, not the opposite. What I can only do is to work on the causes that finally leads me to wisdom. In truth, the journey of unfoldment is more appreciative than the destination itself.
There are careers that does not give much room for inquiring. Even then, nothing is lost as attitude plays an important role in developing wisdom. If I am a creative person, I will find ways to improve my efficiency. That too is a kind of wisdom. Thus, in truth, creativity lies in me, rather than what I do.
To develop an inquiring or questioning mind, one has to be mindful of the now, as there is a tendency for the mind to work on automode. Judgments, conclusions, decisions are some of the unhealthy habits perpetuating the mind. It is interesting to note that the word “de-cide” has definition of “killing” on it – pesti-cide, homi-cide, insecti-cide etc.
Whenever I am been triggered, I gently train myself to look inward rather than outward. It is about creating a new pattern, a new habit so as to direct the mind to inquire within. This inquiry leads me to understand the mind deeper, recognizing the mechanics of how it works. Why the need to understand the mind? All mental bondage and mental peace comes from either ignoring or understanding the mind. And since I would not know when I am going to transcend the mind at any near future, might as well I start understanding it first. For understanding culminates in wisdom.