The Rat Race
Questioner: In this competitive world, compassion and honesty are things which are very difficult to practice in life. What should we do about that?
If you leave out compassion, what is left? You can only be an animal.
Society is in that state right now. If you survey the challenges of the world today, one can easily come to a dismaying conclusion. There is a great competition.
Those who want to compete can compete. If you don't need the race, why don't you come out? Or at least why can't you slow down the pace? No, you want to race with everybody because you want to be one up on everybody, especially your neighbor. But you do not want to face the difficulties that arise due to this competition. You should understand this very clearly – whatever action you perform in your life, there is a consequence to it. There is no such thing as you must perform only this type of action and you must not perform another type of action. You can do anything. But you must be in a state to accept the consequences joyously.
After performing the action, cribbing or crying when you have to face the consequences will not do. Do whatever you want in your life, but tomorrow, when you have to face the consequences, you should not cry and complain. If you can accept this joyously, you can do anything. If you don't have the energy to accept the consequence, you don't have to perform that action! It is not needed. Just because somebody else is doing something, you don't have to attempt it or do it. You do not know the kind of energy they have. Isn't it?
So, the society has not become competitive; but it is you who are caught in the rat race. You can compete to the extent you want to. But if you don't have the need for competition, then you may be ready for meditation. we will set you on the path of meditation – not because you are useless for anything else, only because the need to compete, the need to be in the rat race has dropped.
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
