Question:

Didi, what does it mean to be with reality as it is? It’s difficult to understand. Please, would you explain?

Answer:

Be with reality as it is!

This is a tough one to understand. People feel what’s so difficult in being with whatever is happening. It is actually more meaningful and harder than what it appears to be on the surface.

Being with reality means:

• Not looking at the impermanent as permanent:

This is the toughest for most people. Maaya/Maara is so strong that it alludes you to believe that everything happening around you is going to stay permanent.

When things are good in life, It alludes you to believe that life will always remain like this, people will always remain the same, situations in life will always remain the same. You call this hope.

But in reality, hope is a false belief that IT IS GOING TO STAY THE SAME FOREVER.

On the other hand, when things are not hunky-dory, Maara/Maaya alludes one to believe that everything is going to be different. You keep imagining a situation where it will soon pass away.

This is also false hope that IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS NOW.

One cannot tolerate the restlessness of being with Reality as it is. That’s why one feels the need to cover up the Truth that keeps emerging from time to time.

What Truth?

• One constantly has the feeling sprout that there is no meaning in life BUT one covers it up by keeping the mind busy and distracted.

One suppresses this Truth in every way and every day. One keeps running to add false meaning to life by cultivating a hobby, running behind a passion, striving to achieve something/someone, but eventually one finds oneself at the same empty spot.

For e.g., 90% of your pictures on social media have a false smile. You must have just come out of an angry scowl to a false-happy pout within seconds just for that group Selfie. Only because it might land up on FB.

Everyone is just faking to show others that they are very happy in life. Life has just become one fake day after another.

What is the root cause of this problem?   

The inability of the Ego to SEE and BE with reality as it is.

What is the solution to this problem?

Gather the courage to overcome the Ego’s fakeness and BE WITH REALITY AS IT IS!

But it’s a continuous fight with Maaya/Maara. How to win always?   

Determination and Firm resolve ‘to be with what is’ will be the only path to victory.

• Constantly remind yourself that ‘this restlessness is a reality’. Let me try NOT to suppress it or cover it up.
• Constantly remind yourself that only cowards run away from the Truth. Lions face it. Whatever be the Truth of the moment, it must be looked at, in the face and acknowledged as it is [without the addition of spice/masala]
• Constantly remind yourself, that you do not have to become a ‘Devdas’ [depressed heart-broken drunkard lover roaming on the streets] to be with the reality when it is not hunky-dory, as that is also fake.
• Constantly remind yourself, that ‘Being Genuine and Authentic’ takes a lot of courage. It is not everyone’s cup of coffee, so don’t let demotivators talk you into believing that this approach is pessimistic. After all, their so-called optimism is based on the trembling and rickety pillars of the Sands of Hope.

Be a Lion! Be with reality as it is! What is, is! Simple!