Life Is Dreamlike, Stay Neutral And Enjoy

William Shakespeare captured the essence of the Bhagwad Gita's message when he wrote: "All the world's a stage, and all men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances..." The Gita extols the virtue of sakshi bhav - a witness-like attitude. This objectivity is the key to material success, happiness, and personal growth.
The opposite of objectivity is being involved, partisan, and biased. Then, you view the world through tinted glasses. You see what your mind wants to see. You look at the world through the filter of your likes and dislikes and get a distorted vision. This skewed perception leads to errors and failure. An objective person has clarity of thought. His perception is sharp. Actions become perfect. The mind is detached. And success flows effortlessly.
Cultivate the mindset of an observer. Do not get entangled. Stay impartial in all circumstances, not partisan. Remain unbiased and unprejudiced. Be like a spectator in a boxing ring. If you jump into the ring, you risk getting beaten by both parties. Be an observer of this magnificent universe.
You are an actor in the drama of life. Play your role to the best of your ability - wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, perfectly, yet dispassionately. When the curtain falls, exit gracefully. But you go on stage and want to assert your will. You rewrite the script and tamper with roles. You get totally knotted up in a make-believe world.
The Gita illustrates this through Arjun's plight. Paralysed by grief and attachment, he refuses to perform his duties. Krishn's opening remarks are: "The wise do not grieve for the living or the dead. All grief stems from wrong identification and attachment." Blaming external factors - spouse, children, govt, or even the weather - ensures perpetual misery. The key lies within, not without.
Adopt a tongue-in-cheek perspective on life. Today's trauma will be a distant memory a year from now. Take a long-term panoramic view of things. Consider others' challenges, and yours will pale into insignificance. Rise to a higher plane and struggles of the lower level will cease to affect you. Reach out to others, stretch to accommodate their interests. Embrace the transcendental. As your mind expands, you become more mature and happier, unaffected by the ups and downs of life.
Attachment to the body, mind, and intellect binds you to unhappiness. They are matter. The world is also matter. Matter influences matter, just like a magnet attracts iron. You are not body, mind, or intellect. You are Spirit. The world does not have the power to affect the Spirit. You appear to be affected because of your unintelligent identification and attachment to them. Remember, you are Atman. Remain a sakshi, witness, of everything, uninvolved in life's drama.
You traverse three states of consciousness - waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Your true Self lies beyond these, the fourth plane. Live life as if you are re-entering a dream, knowing its illusory nature. Embrace it with objectivity, joy, and light-heartedness, free from entanglement and heartache. Objectivity is the secret of enjoyment. Practise objectivity daily. Observe the world around you: external objects, people, their appearance, emotions, and thoughts. Then, turn inward to your own body, mind and intellect.
Authored by: Jaya Row