You Are The Rest of Mankind

One pleasant evening, Rama and his friend went to a lake park to sit down, share some thoughts and have a nice time. After sitting for a while and watching the birds, the sheet of water in the lake, and people walking, laughing and talking, a nice conversation started between the two of them.

 RAMA: This morning, I read the newspaper and it is painful to see what is happening in the world. FRIEND: Why? What happened?

RAMA: Stories of the corrupted politicians, cunning corporate businesses, and farmer suicides, paper is full of sad news.

FRIEND: Are you saying that they are all responsible for the sorrow in the world, and not you?

RAMA: How can I be responsible? I am in no way related to all that.

FRIEND: I may be right or wrong, but please listen to me patiently; I feel that you and I are also responsible, if there is disorder in our lives.

RAMA: What do you mean by disorder?

FRIEND: It’s simple. If I have worries, or fears in life, if I’m trying to repeat yesterday’s pleasure, or if I am following, or obeying another human being, or using fellow human being as a stepping stone for my success, then my life is in disorder.

RAMA: How can you say that? Worries and fears are common in life.

FRIEND: I don’t think so! Our minds are conditioned in such a way that we never question whether we can live without them. Even if someone puts forth that question, there is a lack of seriousness. We are all caught in a race to become somebody, somebody whose photo will come in the newspaper, someone whose mere presence makes everybody say, ‘There he is!’, somebody who has power and position. This desire to become somebody is always there in people, right from the ancient kings to the present, modern day man. A life full of joy and happiness has been oppressed by this desire to become somebody.

RAMA: But, without becoming, what is life? It has no meaning!

FRIEND: The politician that you read about is also a human being like you and me. He is also living in fear of his opposition. He is acquiring money, land because they give him a certain sense of security, and a feeling of being somebody.

RAMA: So do you say what he is doing is correct?

FRIEND: No, what I am saying is that we are equivalent to that politician. Factors like fear, confusion, and the desire to be secure, are driving his life and ours too.

RAMA: So what is your solution to this problem?

FRIEND: No, the question is, do you have clarity about the problem? Or are you only interested in the solution and don’t have the patience to look at the problem? If I don’t like the part of understanding the problem, then I create more problems out of a single problem.