My journey!

As I journey through time, here I present a small peak into what I think and experience!

Monday, August 29, 2005

Philosophy

People dread at the very mention of this topic. We are not comfortable discussing topics which deal with the realm of the mind and are sceptic of treading into murky waters. We have to stop awhile, take a step back and analyse our thought process.

I am also a victim of this but today as I was discussing with my project mates the Behavioural Sciences project which involves the analysis of a novel (Siddhartha about which I have talked in the previous post), my friend and myself started talking about soul, body and the external environment.

Every human being has some basic physiological needs. He strives to fulfil those and in the process has to deal with the society. Why a person has to strive to get something is something fundamental. Resources are scarce and we have to optimally use it. If the world had infinite quantities of everything, we needn't have to squabble. The first question we encountered is "What is Soul?" It is difficult to exactly say what it is. Brain is a physical part while mind is a psychological entity. Any desire or emotion other than the physiological needs of a human being constitutes the Soul. According to Freud, the father of psychoanalysis (without whom we students needn't have to undergo this torture!), soul or mind can be classified into Id, Ego and SuperEgo.

Man, and for that matter woman, is always in the conquest of seeking knowledge. He is never satisfied with something and always wants to achieve more and more. The protaganist in the novel passes through various stages in his life and in all of them, he is unhappy with the way things proceed. He starts out on a quest to attain Nirvana, the supreme state of being where one has attained enlightenment.

I would say that a person is unhappy when there are conflicts between id, ego and superego. Each tries to dominate and establish its control over others. When Id is superior, we tend to be more impulsive and when Ego is, we try creating our own ways of doing things and satisfying our needs represented by Id. SuperEgo constricts the Ego from doing anything that is forbidden in our society. A person is restless and unsatisfied when there are conflicts between these.

Nirvana is a state of peace. It is when these three parts of the soul are in sync with the external environment that one can identify himself with the reality. There is no elixir which if one takes achieves the supreme knowledge. It is this union of the self with the reality around us which gives us peace. Nirvana is a state of perfection. Our body and soul are in complete harmony with the surroundings.

So to attain Nirvana, does one have to renounce everything and go to Himalayas? Not necessarily. One can attain it by living in our society itself the rider being that the society does not exert any kind of pressure on the seeker. But since my assumption is that society is inherently imperfect, its not possible to seek nirvana by being a part of the wordly life.

So whats the way out? Forget all crap about attaining enlightenment, supreme knowledge and Nirvana. Just enjoy life! Just chill chill just chill.....

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