Based on our experience of the past two years, there is one lesson we can definitely carry into 2022: that the need of the hour is a conscious planet. The pandemic has established that the virus spares no one. We are, whether we like it or not, one planet. If we are conscious, we can ride this tumult with minimal damage; if we are compulsive, we will pay a huge price.
Some may consider it morbid, but, as a guru, I am always reminding people of their mortality. Why? Because you don’t become spiritual by praying, by going to temples, mosques and churches; you become spiritual only when you understand that you are mortal. The pandemic has placed our mortality squarely before us. This naturally prompts the question: what lies beyond our physical nature? Is there more to us than this body and mind? These questions mark the beginning of the spiritual process.
Many creatures undergo a process called moulting. At regular intervals, they shed an outer layer – feathers, hair, skin, an exoskeleton – to prepare for the next stage in their life cycles. For insects, birds, spiders, crustaceans, snakes, even some mammals, this is critical to their survival and growth. For the planet, particularly in the northern hemisphere, the period after the winter solstice represents a new beginning, a fresh lease of life. It is almost like the planet is moulting, preparing for harvest when vegetal life will explode once again into flower and fruit.
This is the ideal time for humans to begin their own moulting. Every other creature functions according to instinct. But human beings are uniquely capable of transcending their instincts. For every creature, how to live is fixed; for the human being, the ‘how’ is entirely in our hands. This is our great privilege: how beautiful, magnificent, useless or lethargic we want life to be is entirely up to us.
People often ask me about what ‘new year resolution’ I recommend. I ask them: do we need to amend the country’s constitution to add a resolution to be joyful? Coming to your senses doesn’t need a resolution! Just ask yourself: have I moved forward as a human being this past year, or have I regressed? If you are experiencing less friction, struggle, turmoil within yourself, that’s an indication that you’re moving in the right direction.
Evaluate yourself as sincerely as possible. Don’t bother about what may befall you; you don’t control the content of your life, but you do control the context. Decide the kind of human being you want to be. Then make yourself happen the way you want.
When any creature moults, it becomes very fragile for a period of time. Vulnerability is a big risk: even a few ants can take a snake’s life at such a time. But moulting is still necessary because something wonderful lies ahead. It is time for everyone to take that risk: to shed an old skin, and allow something new, fresh, profound and alive to come forth. Consciously discard some aspect of your life that has become habitual but unnecessary. Tear it down and see what life does to you. Perhaps this could truly be the beginning of a new year.
COMMENT