Meeting Mr.Mind

After zombie like work weekdays, it was weekend. Time to fall really dead. Not just the work, commute also had competed in contributing to tiredness. Watched movie Lootera in the afternoon and slipped in for quick nap at 3PM. Woke up at 5PM.

Found no one was around and it was still half sleep, so just continued to lie in the bed. Tick-tock of the clock was clearly audible. Fists were still hurting due to RSI, side effect of their love affair with keys of the laptop and Foots were hurting because of their flirting with ABC (Accelerator, Brake, Clutch) of the car for more than two hours of commute every day.

After feeling the pain of the body focus shifted to feelings of mind. As I got down in to the depths of the mind suddenly met this Mr. Mind. He looked really pale. Not that he was very happy or bustling guy in the past but today he was really looking dull.  Pulled him to chat, asked him tell me what happened. He started off with usual crap of not letting him look weak. He acted strong and focused. He was afraid of being tagged as vulnerable, indulgent, lazy or non-disciplined. He had lost all his colors, truly looked black and white. He looked laser focused. He no longer looked human he looked like robot running some set of standard perfect programs. Just like the guys in the movie Matrix, completely invincible. 

It scared me to see him. He was ashamed of admitting that he was a human mind. He was busy covering it up with busyness of running some unknown race that had no end. He had achieved quite few significant things, he had set himself on to.  He was living a decent life. But yet he did not seem happy.  So I took a headshot question and asked him “Are you happy?” He looked confused. It was clear that he could not give a black and white answer.  He said, no external achievements or ever-increasing materialistic acquisitions so far have given me what I am looking for. The initial four lines of song saponse bhare naina  from movie Luck by chance started ringing in my ear. I understood that he had all the comforts but lacked the peace of mind. You can’t search it outside, if it had to be found it can only be found inside. So I played it Sapnose bhare naina, pay attention to first four lines.

After listening he opened up a bit.  Life in bigger cities sucks he said. He asked are we living to work or working to live?  So-called “Work hard, Party hard” is a myth.  The life style dumped in to our mind by media and society has corrupted the very definition of happiness. It has cut us out of our roots. All the places are commercialized. Focused and geared up to pull everyone in to a vicious cycle further. No, hold your thought right there, he said I understand Money is important but that money itself cannot be made the center of everything. To be frank money is cheap. Its your life that is invaluable. But yeah, Who cares? Everyone is programmed to laugh at it. You cannot escape it. In todays world everyone wants to pay any amount of money but they want all your life. It was his turn he played the song Gandha hai per dandha hai ye from the movie company.

I hugged him tight. Please don’t be afraid of being judged. Tell me what do you want. Lighten up. Don’t be so black and white. I want to see you in your true colors. I want you in the form you naturally are. I really don’t mind how you look. I will love you for what you are. You have always been there with me since my birth. I know you have been through a lot. No, I wont let this world destroy you and make a robot out of you. Whatever it takes, I will go any length to keep you a human.  He cried out loud. It was long silence and no words from either side. I understood words could not bridge. Silence was the only means of communication.

Finally he broke the silence. I want do things for their intrinsic value. Why money has to be benchmark of everything? Taking away the joy of doing things? Why does everything have to be so stressful? Why cannot it be fun? Why can’t we have completeness in life and have balance? The way we are heading towards is going to lead to human without all around growth. Imagine what happens if only one part of the body grows and others are not. Would it be beautiful?

I desperately asked, you were always passionate about what you did? Weren’t you? Yes he said and asked me back, you like mangoes don’t you? I said yes and asked back with smile don’t you know it? That’s not the point, focus he said. How many best of best mangoes can you eat at one go? I said may be four or five. He asked back, what happens if I asked you to eat five more after first five? I said, I can’t. He said, now you see the same mango that gave you happiness before can no longer continue to give the same. Its same fruit, same person but results are different.

He quoted Sanskrit saying “Aati Amrutham Aapi Visham”. Means if you drink in excess even Amruth also becomes poison.  

My daughter came in and woke me up.  She said, Pappa take me for bicycle ride. I said sure, let’s learn to balance it !