The travails of a journey called Life

AMITABH SHANKAR


Life is a journey and people meet on the way. The destination people don't know and though so many people have traversed its path, not many have learnt its import. I don't mean that I have learnt it, I just want to learn it and I am wondering if someone can guide me.
I cannot believe that life is meaningless.
How and why do things happen in one's life, which are unexplainable and not understandable, is still a subject of speculation and conjecture. Some people believe that there is a super power which controls our lives invisibly and we are just like puppets. That's why we need to assert ourselves and take the reign of our lives in our own hands. We need to become the maker of our own destiny.
For doing that we need to know so many things but the biggest knowledge is self-knowledge. Knowing yourself, and it is easier said that done.
I do believe that people are microcosms of the universe. They are the reflection of the universe and there is no process in the universe which is not taking place inside the body, the mind and the soul. And by knowing these three components of your existence, in isolation with each other as well as in unison, you come to know of the universe. If you control yourself, you can control the entire universe. By knowing yourself, you become one with the Almighty. Rather, you become the Almighty.
Why do we do the things we do? Are we solely responsible for our acts or even at that stage, there is another force which compels us to act the way we do? Then why do we have to bear the fruits of our actions? These are the questions which have been puzzling me for some time. I have sought the answers, sifted through my mind and thought process, and have not been able to reach any conclusion.
In Srimad Bhagwadgita, Lord Krishna tells Arjun, "Everything that is happening is pre-destined and don't have the arrogance that you are the doer. You are just enacting the role given to you." But then if everything was pre-destined, if everything had top happen, why was Arjun disenchanted at the first place? Was that too pre-destined so that Lord Krishna may show his erudite by delivering the gospel of Gita which is also called the nectar of all the Vedas.
Often do I think that these are just hollow words with no meaning, just to justify the inaction of a nation of lazy people doing nothing. But then often do I have a feeling that I don't have control over my actions, my feelings and my destiny.
I don't decide who gives me company on my path to the journey called life. They come on their own, I know they too don't decide for themselves, and leave on their own.
Some of the co-travellers give you pain when they are with you, some of them give you pain when they leave you. Or do they just give lessons?

Continued