I know that I am my present. But what my present really is?
Conventionally, it is assumed that what I learnt in past, what I experienced in past and what I did in past is what defines me or decides my present...
But most of the things that I always do is either because of fear of the future consequence or gains I expect in future. I studied engineering to get better career options. I do hard work as I want salary at the end of the month. I write this blog as I want people to read and appreciate it... Everything that I do in present is based on what I want in future. And that is what becomes my past which defines my present....
So now, who am I really? My past or (expected) future?
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This post is based on a discussion with a learned man called Dr. Dusane.
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Living in present is great but it is very difficult to live in thin edge of present. Activities like sports, dance, music etc help people in living in the present for a few moments and people really enjoy that.
ReplyDeleteWhat a person really is - "everything". Each of us defines what I want to be at a moment and then he/she becomes that for the moment. A musician is not a musician at every moment and a murdedr is not a murderer in every moment. There are moments when we become that and in the life (collection of several momemts) we become several personalities.
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ReplyDeleteActually, there are two you's.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to say everyone is schizo :-) but there are two distinct entities within everyone.
The Real you, (the observer) is silent, detatched and is just observing the other you, in a completely non-judgemental way.
The other you is the so-called actor, who appears to be thinking and doing things (basically reacting) to external stimuli.
The real 'you' has no concept of fear, excitement or logic, or even of passage of time, no past or present, it is always at peace, at bliss and for him, time stands still.
Actually Time is an illusion, much like the illusion of motion (movies) created by static frames rushing past at high speed.
The other you is under this illusion. The real you is free from it.
---- Hemant@Sonawane.us
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ReplyDeleteTrue, one plans for the future and bases one's decisions on the expected or desired future. But in doing so one is limited by the knowledge and experience one has gained in the past.
ReplyDeleteMost people are their future as seen by the eyes of their past, their present in denial.
But then, life is a collection of random events, no absolute link in time or space. The flow of time and space that we perceive is very real but one's life can flip over in a jiffy (say you have an accident or walk into a time warp) - in that sense it is an illusion. Resilience is how one deals with these sudden changes in life and that comes not with past or future, but with the ability to stay focused on the (fleeting, dynamic and unexpected) present.
So, life really should be about living for the future, taking advice from the past, but with one's feet firmly grounded in the present.
In other words, I am my future as seen by the eyes of my present, my past simply an advisor to me.
Ok, I am brand new to this whole internet thingee so I have no idea how to get my name to appear with the comment rather than the wierdo characters that showed up. FYI, the above comment was from Rama.
ReplyDeleteWho am i??....
ReplyDeleteStarting from the impersonal perspective. I am the soul. As Hemant pointed out "The Real you, (the observer) is silent just observing the other you", the "you" is Aatma and the observer is Paramatma. The guide from Vedas says that its like 2 Birds sitting on a tree. While 1 bird is in action trying to pluck and enjoy fruits of the tree the other bird is just observing the 1st birds actions. So Just like Milind says " I studied engineering to get better career options." shows his desires... which is like the 1st Bird involved in fruitive activities. And all fruitive activities are bound by the laws of Karma. Laws of Karma are based on your present deeds and the credits you have gained over many birth and death cycles. They are precise and complex (some times things may seem to be Random events in life but they are not.). So, we will always be influenced by our Past learning (as an example some people have some special characteristics right from birth, they are influenced by their past credits they made) and our challenge is to have a better future. But for Soul there is no concept of Time , it is eternal: Bhagwat Gita says
"na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param"---Translation
"Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be. "
However under the material influence we forget goal for the "Observer", and tend to get illusioned, due to our faulty senses.
I hope atleast some one would get it..
The question is wrong.. who you are is Who have you chosen to be..
ReplyDeleteSome ppl choose to cling to the past.. either past glory or past insults
Some ppl choose to dream of the future.. I will own that big house or big job or etc. .. or maybe even paranoid .. things will go wrong etc.
Some ppl just like to see the present and understand that it is just the present.
Simply put, what defines you is what you choose to be.. It's a conscious decision and a choice you can make. It's very simple, really, no need to complicate it so much