The key is Mulla's key

Twenty years ago, as a novice meditator, I heard a story that got me hooked on the meditative journey.

As the night grew dark, the neighbours became more and more worried. Under the bright streetlights Mulla Nasiruddin, their respected sheikh was looking for something.

Time had stopped for Mulla as he paced up and down, talking to himself in a narrow street. Seeing their teacher in such a disturbed state, the neighbours asked; "Mulla! What are you looking for? Mulla replies, "I have lost my keys; I need to find them before my wife returns". So, everybody joins in his mission but with no success.

Finally, when Mulla's wife arrives at this noisy commotion. She asks, "Mulla! What's the matter, what is everyone doing here, at this late hour? Mulla replies, "Begum! I have lost the keys". All right! she says, but did you lose them here?" Mulla says, "No, I lost them inside our house!". 

She then asks, "So, why are you looking here, outside?" and Mulla's response was, "It's because the light is much better here".

COVID 19 has challenged us all, opening our old wounds that haven't yet healed. It has unmasked our deep underlying existing anxieties and insecurities. COVID 19 is a new challenge to humanity, but our resurfaced emotions and reactions to this situation are not new. Facing lockdown goes against our social conditioning. It has further heightened our fears, frustrations and neurotic tendencies. These natural, negative emotions are sitting right in the centre of our conscious attention. This is a catastrophe, and it is shaking us, waking us and creating a glitch in our fragile matrix of the mind.

When everything is going well, there is no fluctuation in our inner matrix. Everything appears neat, held together with our favourite stories, ideas and possessions. Then out of the blue a shattering experience, a big issue, a missing Mulla's key that makes a headline. Research on stress suggests, when minds perceive stress, our emotions and urges are more powerful than our rational reasoning. We see this during the current lockdown. Scientific evidence suggests you should stay home to control the spread of the virus. Yet, the emotional punch from the crisis is so powerful that it completely negates our rational mind.

Once, I was having dinner with my friend. As we ate, he kept an eye on his car parked across the road. Then, he stood up and ran out of the restaurant and across the street to save his car from getting towed away. There was no luxury of time; he had to run, leaving his paneer tikka masala. He returned 23 minutes later with erratic breathing and a speedy heart, declaring how lucky he was. We too can be fortunate when a mini-crisis hits because it is a wake-up call to act and to meet our demons head-on.

There is a catch though with each mini crisis chipping away inside our restless mind. Little cracks in the matrix bring tiny rays of realisation. A sense that something is missing grows, and like Mulla, a journey to find a key begins. The mind looks for quick symptomatic relief. People, possessions, a good job, a lovely house, the right partner, a fantastic holiday, even religion becomes a missing key, an easy fix. If these are in stock, we take hold of them demanding our cure. If we don't have these, we convince ourselves that if only we did, then all would be well. If I only had that I'd be okay!

Organisations and institutions create stories, like Mulla's missing key, they rally people. Search parties surrounded by dark uncertainties keep looking for these key elusive goals. Critical people with fragile labels looking under rational artificial light, feel a failure. Institutions have shaped us to be a fantastic human doings.

Unpredictable events are not problematic in themselves, although we keep judging them. It is not the 'what' but the 'how'. It is how we go about looking for that lost key, that makes a difference between sanity and insanity—a difference between ease and dis-ease. We look outside ourselves for answers that'll open the door to change and offer solutions. We expect solutions to be swift and quick. Like Mulla and his friends, we exhaust ourselves with no success. We seek this metaphoric key in the wrong place, at the wrong time and in the wrong way. We chase story after story like trying to catch a rainbow.

Mulla's wife returns to the crazy commotion asking kind, simple, yet challenging questions. I like the way she says it's all right, it's okay Mulla, can you remember where you left the keys? This reminding and acknowledging is how mindfulness starts. Mindfulness practices help us exercise and develop our intrinsic loving awareness. With training, this inherent awareness shines, illuminating a path to our lost key.

The COVID-19 virus has pulled the rug out from under our feet. Questions have opened for both organisations and individuals:

• What lessons can be learnt from this crisis?
• How will this crisis impact people and my loved ones? 
• Will, there be a shift, a transformation in the way we live and work?
• Will the change be for the better or worse?
• Will, it affect how we make decisions and choices, for ourselves and others? 

Like Mulla, we need to keep looking. This searching brings us to another important set of questions, even more pressing. These are the Mulla's key questions:

• What are you looking for? What is your key?
• Where did you leave it, and where are you searching, inside or outside? 
• How are you seeking this metaphoric key to your freedom and happiness? 

Looking inside, turning and returning to body, breath, heart and mind is always a good start.

Practice finding your key: 

When you have some time during the day, carve out 5-7mins for this 'finding your key' practice. 

Start by noticing your posture and body sensations. 

Then, connect with the breath and stay with the breathing till you feel centred. 

Now open your awareness to include your entire body. In that spacious awareness, drop question:

What do I need, for myself, now? How best can I look after myself, now? 

What's the key action, I can engage in that will nourish me now?