Our Ever-Busy Lives and the Sense of Emptiness Inside
In our fast-paced and goal-driven lives, we often find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of achievements and failures. We strive for success, celebrate happiness, and learn to cope with sadness. Yet, despite accumulating financial assets, self-worth, social admiration, power, and fame, we occasionally sense a muffled emptiness within.
But what exactly is this emptiness, and how can we cope with it? This feeling arises from the lack of deeper meaning in our lives. If we take a step back and examine our existence, we’ll realize that we are merely following unwritten scripts woven into our interpersonal, familial, social, religious, and cultural spheres. These scripts shape our thoughts, feelings, desires, and identities. They constantly whisper in our minds, dictating who we are, where we belong, what we want, and what we must do.
If hypothetically, we were to remove ourselves from our current context and enter a completely different space and circumstances, these scripts would change. Consequently, our identity would transform, leading to different thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. However, the emptiness would persist because our old conditionings would be replaced by new ones. We would once again find ourselves wasting our lives pursuing insignificant goals without truly understanding our core identities and desires.
The solution to this complex problem lies in breaking free from our mental conditioning, exploring our true selves, and allowing our profound inner knowledge to guide our lives. Deep self-inquiry can aid us in this journey. As Ramana Maharshi suggests, by persistently inquiring into the nature of our minds, we can transcend the mind and connect with the Self, or Atman. When unwanted thoughts arise, instead of pursuing them, we should diligently ask ourselves, To whom do they arise? The answer, invariably, will be To me. Then, we further inquire, Who am I? This inquiry brings the mind back to its source, causing the arising thought to subside. With practice, the mind becomes skilled at staying in its source.
As we delve deeper within, the narrow boundaries of our minds expand, revealing our true selves and connecting us to cosmic consciousness. It is then that our lives take on a new significance, and our old sense of emptiness vanishes. Regardless of our age or stage in life, we have the power to transform our existence by reevaluating who we truly are and starting anew.
To conclude, our ever-busy lives often leave us with a sense of emptiness, a feeling that our existence lacks deeper meaning. However, by breaking down our mental conditioning, embarking on a journey of self-inquiry, and connecting with our true selves, we can find fulfillment and transcend the emptiness. Let us remember that our lives are not mere adherence to societal scripts, but an opportunity to discover our authentic selves and live aligned with cosmic consciousness.
